Ignorance is Bliss
by Toxic-Chi
Summary: A girl in the Glade story. Lexie has been living in the Glade for 6 months now, and life is easy with her best friend Newt to keep her company. Every day is routine until the runners begin finding strange clues in the Maze. Do they want to follow them? She might be able to help if her mind wasn't so preoccupied with thoughts of a certain handsome builder... Gally/OC. Eventual M.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Lexie stared down forlornly at her bowl of soup, spending most of her energy pushing it around with her spoon rather than consuming it. It wasn't that Frypan's nightly concoctions weren't good, because really, considering his sources, they were more than satisfactory. It was just that eating the same few meals on a lazy susan of 6 or so different recipes was getting a tad monotonous. That and her dark mood today contributed to her determination to push the thick stew to one side of her wooden bowl.

Across from her sat Newt, his body language mimicking hers as he balanced his head on one hand, elbow on the table, stirring around his soup between mouthfuls. Newt was probably her best friend in this place. He was also Keeper of the track-hoes, which was her assigned job in the Glade. He was a fair leader and never asked for more than people could give, although he definitely didn't accommodate any slackers either. Their melancholy tonight stemmed from the same source; the clouds that had been spurting rain nearly constantly for the past 3 days. Their crops were soaked and she knew Newt was afraid of losing the lot of them. Hence their dire mood tonight. He had been optimistic, though, telling her that his skills were too good to be wiped out by a bit of drizzle. She was glad she got to work with him every day as they had gotten on pretty well in the 6 months she had been here.

 _Six months…_

She thought irritably.

 _Has it been so long already? I feel like I just got here._

And she did feel that way. Days in the Glade passed by in a comfortable routine of wake-up, eat, work, break, work, eat, and sleep again. It sounded rather boring when she put it that way, but she genuinely enjoyed her work in the gardens as well as getting to know her fellow Gladers better. She chuckled quietly to herself, remembering the stir she caused when she first poked her head up out of the Box and had a stare down with several dozen shocked boys. Alby, the leader here, had been speechless, staring down to where she sat amongst supply boxes and crates of livestock. She had learned since then that such a thing is a rare occurrence; both the livestock and Alby's silence. Most of the other boys had erupted into excited whispers amongst themselves, which had made her exceedingly uncomfortable as they talked about her as though she weren't listening to them admiring her long dark hair and bright green eyes.

The first to hop down into the box had been Newt. He had been kind and unintimidating, seeing her on the edge of panic, and talked her out of the Box. She was immediately put at ease by his soft smile and his quick insults to the other boys, telling them to 'shuck off put their eyes back in their skulls.' She found herself smiling about it now. Newt has had her back since day one here, showing her the ropes and training her in the fine art of career gardening. He took pride in his ability to grow anything that got sent to him; to contribute to the livelihood of the Glade. He liked to take care of people.

"And what's got you smiling in the face of this bloody tragedy?" She looked up at his question, voiced in his thick British accent, to see him grinning softly back at her.

"Oh, just thinking about your fearless and confident leadership in spite of such a crisis." She gave him a winning smile and he scoffed at her, rolling her eyes, but his smile grew all the same. Their light banter always cheered her up.

"Whatever, you little brown-noser." He stuck his tongue out at her, cheeky as ever.

Minho piped up from his seat next to Newt, "I don't know if you meant that literally, but you two really are a filthy pair of shanks." He pinched his nose closed for emphasis.

Lexie chuckled at him but couldn't argue. They were caked in mud from their efforts today, as futile as they were. A shower was definitely in order after dinner.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied, "you're one to talk with your sweaty runner garb still on."

Minho shrugged as if to concede the point and continued eating his dinner with noticeably more vigor than her or Newt. He needed his strength for his countless days in the Maze. She was on comfortable terms with Minho, but she wouldn't have considered them best friends by any means. He was pretty quiet and withdrawn most of the time, and she could tell his mind was usually in the Maze. Still, he was part of her Glader family, and she had that fondness for him all the same. His work was hard, and she respected his commitment to this duty of finding a way out of this place.

Lexie was fond of most of the Gladers, but only close to a few. Alby and she talked a lot in the beginning, and she knew he had set ground rules the day she arrived for the other boys even if he hadn't let her hear them. She was the only girl in the Glade and, even without her memories, she wasn't naïve enough to think that it didn't pose some sizeable issues in a confined space with dozens of teenage males. So far there had been no issues save a few lewd comments (at least to her face, she didn't want to know what was said behind her back). She attributed the smoothness of her transition to Alby and the respect he commanded from the other Gladers.

Her fellow track-hoes and she got along splendidly as well, Zart was always a laugh, although Newt was by far her best friend. Frypan always had a smile and a witty comment for her, as well as a hot bowl of food at the end of the day. Minho, Keeper of the runners, and the others in his group were nice enough, but Ben was the only one she talked to on his own. He was protective of her, a big brother of sorts, and she appreciated him always making sure she was alright even if he was away in the Maze during most of the day.

The other Keepers were all amicable enough as well. Winston, Keeper of the slicers, was and odd bloke who had creeped her out immensely when she first arrived. How could slaughtering animals be a desired career choice? But as time went on she got to know him a bit better. He was simply an animal lover, and raising them was the highlight of his days here. The part where they ended up as dinner was not high on his list, but he understood the necessity of their part in the circle of life. They didn't have a lot of alternative protein sources to choose from here.

Clint was Keeper of the med-jacks, which served as their medical force around here. Currently it consisted of Clint, his assistant Jeff, and the newest greenie. It had nearly been a month since he arrived, but she hadn't even learned his name yet. They did an adequate job of fixing everyone's cuts and bruises up as best they could, even though they had no formal medical training that they could remember.

Then there were the builders whose Keeper, she noticed with wide eyes, was approaching their table.

Gally walked up, nodding at the group, and looked at Newt.

"I know you guys have been having a shuck time of it in this weather. Me and some of the guys made some simple shelters today, we thought it might help to cover the plants a bit. Won't help much with the wet soil but maybe it could help enough save some of them." He said without much inflection, his arms crossed.

Newt nodded back at him.

"Hey thanks Gally, and tell your guys we appreciate the help. This shucking rain will be the death of me. Poor Fry is gonna have a hell of a time feeding the lot of us with this shite."

Gally shrugged off his thanks, "Don't worry about it. We're stuck inside the workshop until it stops, and there's only so much we can get done in there. I didn't want those slintheads getting soft cause of the weather."

Newt chuckled a bit and nodded again, returning to his dinner. Gally turned toward her, leaning over and ruffling her hair a bit before he made his way out of the canteen area. Lexie giggled and smoothed her hair with her hands. She couldn't help but watch his exit as she thought about the muscular builder. She and Gally had an easy relationship. They talked occasionally, but that was saying a lot since he didn't talk to many people past what was required. He did his work and kept this place running as best he could. She knew Alby relied on his counsel a lot, because Gally had been in the Glade nearly as long as he had.

She was sure most, if not all of the structures here had had Gally's hand in being built, and he was an amazing craftsman. Most people saw him as rough, blunt, and a bit mean at times, because he wasn't one to sugar coat anything and he would be the first to say if he didn't like you. But Lexie saw the good deeds he did, his favor to Newt today being one of them. She knew he had everyone's best interest in heart, possible more than anyone else aside from Alby.

He helped her out in the beginning too. She wasn't here a week before he had the builders make her her own bedroom, a private one right off of the main sleeping area in the homestead. She had never asked for it, but he had shrugged and said she deserved some privacy from these other shuck faces. When she had thanked him, her smile wide as she hugged him in excitement, he had been stiff and awkward as he hugged her back. She had a hard time forgetting the feel of his arms hard around her, muscles hardened from daily physical labor, skin still warm from the sun of the day. They spent time together sometimes, at meals or when he asked her and Newt's opinions on various plans he had for the Glade.

Her favorite memories of him were from the monthly bonfires, at which he _always_ had a bit too much to drink. He would sit beside her by the fire and tell her everything. Everything he was thinking, all his worries and plans and thoughts on the other Gladers. He was so ambitious, never idle, and always wanted to improve. It was those nights, when his tongue was loosened from alcohol, his laughs loud and real, and his gazes on her lingering longer than normal that she would find herself unable to look away. He was painfully handsome. He always smelled like the forest, like pine and earth, and she wished he would talk to her like that all the time. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so guilty every time she admired him from a distance.

"Come on Lex. Let's hit the showers and then maybe tomorrow we will have a chance of saving a potato or two."

She sighed as she stood up from the table, shaking herself from her reverie. Abandoning her forgotten dinner, she walked side by side with Newt towards the shower building.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello readers! Thanks for checking out my story! I had a muse for some Gally romance, so here I am. I have a general idea for this story in its entirety, but I'm not sure what might happen in the meantime. I'm intending for this to be a bit of a slow burn. Any ideas for plot twists are welcome! Please enjoy!**

 **PS – this is not beta read at all, so I apologize for any mistakes.**

Chapter 2

Lexie's eyes shot open as the banging on the door grew louder and a voice that was way too excited and _awake_ urged her out of bed.

"Lex you lazy arse get up! It's finally stopped! Time to work!" It was Newt of course. Loud and unstoppable Newt.

She groaned pulled the pillow over her head.

"I'm sick! Go on without me!"

"If you and your dramatics don't open this door I will open it for you, and then think of how embarrassed you'll be."

She groaned loudly again, purposely loud enough for him to hear her, and threw the pillow off her face. She rolled up and out of bed and quickly pulled on her favorite gray cargo pants, sliding them over her simple black cotton knickers, thankful for their tight and comfortable fit. They were still relatively new as well. They had been conveniently sent up in the Box last month, the day after she ripped a huge hole in the knee of her old ones. The timing of their delivery left no doubt in her mind that they were always being watched here. She shuddered and the thought and looked down to make sure her top was still clothed in her usual black tank top. She trudged over to the door and opened it a crack, glaring into Newt's smiling face.

"Morning love, you look beautiful." He grinned straight up at her spectacular bedhead, her black waves a mess sticking up at all angles.

"Shuck it."

He gasped in mock suprise. "Oooh always so cranky in the morning. Get your butt out here and help me wrangle some vegetables."

She sighed. She wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now, even if he would allow it. She opened the door the rest of the way and retreated to the small chest of drawers Gally had built her. The wood was smooth and sturdy, having obviously been sanded thoroughly. It contained 3 good sized drawers in which she kept her few belongings; a couple more clean shirts, and extra pair of boots, some unimpressive undergarments, and a few knick knacks she had picked up around the Glade. There was even hardware on the drawer handles, made from tightly looped wire to form a sort of door handle with which she could pull open the drawer. It was really a beautiful piece, one that she imagined she might have had living in a normal home outside this place. He was really quite talented.

She grabbed her hairbrush (a blessing from the Box) and ran it through her tangles a handful of times, and threw it up in a loose bun. She pulled on her slim black work boots and was out the door to start the day.

Walking out of the Homestead she couldn't help but smile; it was sunny again! She could tell the mood around here was high. The other Gladers had been as sick of the rain as she had. Everyone was smiling and laughing, most already done with their breakfast and heading out to work for the day. She could see Ben and Minho in the distance, presumably about to head out into the Maze. Her stomach dropped a bit, but she ignored it. It was their job, and they were good at it.

Following Newt, they made their way down to Frypan's kitchen, intent on getting a quick bite to eat before heading out to the fields. Fry shot them a glare as they entered the kitchen.

"You shanks know there's a time for breakfast, and that time was about 20 minutes ago."

Newt put on his best victim's guise, all big eyes and pouty lips.

"Aww come on Fry, you know I had to get this lazy shuck out of bed. It's always her fault when I miss bloody breakfast. Just feed me and let her starve."

I gasped and shoved him in the shoulder, but he was already laughing at me, and Fry was already dishing us both up some scrambled eggs and ham with a twinkle in his eye. We made our way to the only table that was still occupied. Gally and another builder, she thought his name was Adam, were still finishing up their food and talking quietly.

Newt took a seat next to Adam and promptly joined into his conversation, which left the seat one next to Gally open. Lexie slid onto the bench seat and began tucking into her breakfast.

 _Fry really is a miracle worker… this is delicious._

She chewed on happily for a minute or two, but stopped when she noticed Gally's sidelong glance at her. She turned her head and he gave her an easy smile.

"Morning, girlie."

She widened her eyes, not unpleased at the use of his nickname for her. Her stomach did a small flip, which she tried to ignore, but she knew she couldn't stop the faint flush it was bringing to her cheeks. Sure, she and Gally were friends of sorts, but he wasn't usually one for smiles and good mornings. She was happy to see that he wasn't immune to the infectious good mood of the day.

She smiled softly back at him, and couldn't help but notice the light in his green eyes. She took stock of tall boy's appearance for probably the hundredth time. His sandy blonde hair was in need of a trim, but seeing as Fry was the only one with access to hair clippers, the boys often went too long between haircuts. He was wide set, all hard muscle and wide shoulders, and had a healthy tan from being outside every day. His height towered over hers. Although there was no way to be sure, she thought he must be 6'2" or 6'3", where as she estimated herself at maybe 5'5". His face wasn't overly angled, but his eyes were sharp and the way they seemed to be intently staring at her now made her knees weak.

 _Shite, how long have I been staring?_

"Morning Gally. What're the builders up to today?"

 _Good. Maybe you can stop daydreaming long enough to hold a conversation._

He turned his eyes back toward his breakfast and took another bite, eyebrows furrowed. Thank goodness, she didn't think she would survive a longer staring contest.

"I think we'll have to start by going through our wood piles. We moved most of it inside after the first rainy day but I'm afraid some of it might be rotten now. I was hoping to start on that addition to Homestead soon but I need to know what we're working with."

She nodded; thinking of how cramped the boys' sleeping space is becoming, and is grateful all over again for her small bedroom.

"It's getting pretty crowded in there huh? And the Box should be here again tomorrow, yeah?" She phrased it as a question, but she kept track of the days religiously. The next day would mark 7 months of her life in the Glade and she would meet yet another new greenie. Gally hummed his agreement, seemingly nonplussed, but she knew he got excited for Box day.

Newt swallowed his mouthful of eggs and sighed audibly.

"I'm afraid to see the state of the gardens at this point. If it's too bad we might be eating ham and dried beans for the next couple of months. But at least we have those covered shelters if this ever happens again."

Gally finished off his plate and stood up from the table.

"Good that. Adam, let's get going, I doubt those shanks will start working without us. I'll see you guys at lunch."

Adam stood up from the table and followed him out of the kitchen. Lexie looked at Newt, eyebrows raised in question, and he looked at her grimly.

"Yes Lex. It's time. Let's go see what the damage is."

She sighed and followed him out, heading toward the field on the far end of the Glade, opposite the corner where the kitchens and Homestead were located. It wasn't that she didn't like to work; she actually quite enjoyed the process of growing things and seeing the literal fruits of their labors. But she didn't like disappointment, and she knew the mess that was ahead of them.

Approaching the closest field, where the grape vines here hung, she let out an audible whine.

"Newwwt, these are ruined! My trellises are all knocked over and these vines are mud cakes." She pouted. This was going to suck.

Newt sighed and stood next to her, hands on his hips as he surveyed the damage.

"We'll actually probably be able to salvage most of these if we get them cleaned up. These vines are hardy enough. We just need to pick them back up and rinse them off."

He clapped a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

"Come on love, let's get going."

So they worked throughout the morning and into the late afternoon, only stopping once to shovel down some sandwiches that Fry had the greenie med-jack (David, she learned) deliver to them. Although med-jack is a very important job, there is not much for them to do when no one is broken or bleeding anywhere. Thus they usually became the Glade gophers, performing odd jobs and helping out whoever needed it at the time.

At the end of the day Lexie was pretty satisfied. She was sure they were able to save the bulk of the crops. Newt had said the cabbages might be beyond repair, but that didn't break her heart in the least. She was pretty sick of cabbage anyway.

She helped the other track-hoes pack away all the tools in a nearby shed, muscles aching from the hours of labor she put it. She strolled into the Glade a bit, stretching her arms above her head, savoring the ache. She liked the feeling of it, the evidence of a productive day, even if she wasn't too keen on being caked with mud yet again. She wasn't a particularly strong person, but her muscles were leaned and toned from her work, and she was slim without being skinny. She prided herself on being able to pull her weight around here with a bunch of guys to judge to her every move.

Looking up into the sky, she knew the sun would be setting soon, and the runners should be returning. She turned towards the East door and as if on cue, Minho and Ben came running through together. She smiled, unable to hide the relief she felt every night they came back safely. Thoughts of them failing weren't an option; she wouldn't let herself think about it.

Jogging over to them, she gave a woop of greeting, and they looked up from where they were standing, catching their breath.

"Welcome back!" She called excitedly, and they smiled back at her weakly, clearly exhausted. As she reached them, Ben stretched his arms out and pulled her into a firm hug, and she leaned into his tall frame. His presence was always reassuring.

Ben held a special place in her heart. She had a rough first month in the Glade. The work was hard, and her muscles weren't used to manual labor. She wasn't sure what she had done before being sent up in that hellish Box, but it must have been a desk job. Like most of the other greenies, she had her share of mental breakdowns as well. It was Ben who found her most nights, when all the others were fast asleep in their hammocks. She would wander out towards the woods to be miserable in peace, sometimes crying, sometimes just feeling sorry for herself. Ben had a habit of visiting the map room late into the night, seeing if he could solve the puzzle on his own. He would study the labyrinth in every way he could think of, but as far as she knew he was no closer to solving the riddle than the rest of the runners. When he was done he would make his way back to Homestead, and sometimes he would find her along the way, broken, sitting on the forest floor wrapped up in her own thoughts.

Lexie didn't like feeling weak, and especially not in front of the others, but Ben had never treated her like she was anything less than he was. He would comfort her and let her confide her fears in him, being a literal shoulder to cry on when she needed it. He would talk to her about his own struggles as well sometimes, but he seemed rather content here. He was determined to find a way out, but she though it was more from a sense of duty than from an actual desire to leave. She liked that he was unassuming and just… there for her.

Taking in a deep breath of his sweat soaked shirt, she relaxed in his arms. He squeezed her and chuckled, she felt the vibrations deep in his chest.

"Lex, you are probably the muddiest person I've ever seen in my life. Why'd you have to share?"

She leaned back and grinned widely at him.

"Always help out your fellow Glader?" She giggled back at him, releasing him from the hug. "Anything new today?"

He smiled, a twinkle in his eye.

"Maybe. I've gotta get to the map room. See you at dinner?"

"Good that."

She waved as she watched him jog off after Minho, the boys eager to record the Maze's twists and turns while still fresh in their minds. Making her way to the shower building, she sped up her gait. She couldn't _wait_ to feel clean again and get a hot meal.

The building for bathing was probably the best invention in the whole Glade. She wasn't sure who came up with it, but she would bet money (if she had any) that it was Gally's doing. The building was rectangular. When you entered the front door it met perpendicular with a long hallway extending in either direction. Off the hallway were several shower stalls that used to be open, but since her arrival were fitted with privacy doors for obvious reasons. They were Alby's idea, she knew, and she was forever grateful. Situated on a platform behind the building were several barrels which were continuously refilled with water from the lake that had been boiled and made sterile enough for bathing. Leading from the barrels and into the shower stalls were various plastic tubes, salvaged from the Box, and some wooden spouts made by the builders. All one had to do was release a small cinch on a plastic tube or release a stopper from a wooden spout and you were taking a shower. Brilliant.

Closing herself into her stall (she used the same one every day, keeping some spare clothes in there as well), Lexie stripped off her muddy garb, intending on washing them as she washed herself. Releasing the stopper she let out a contented sigh as the water rushed over her, warmed by the sunny day. She rinsed herself off, and removed the mud from her clothes, hanging them over the edge of the door to dry. As the water washed away the day she let her mind wander, as it had been doing so much lately, to her favorite builder.

He had opened up a lot to her in the past couple of months, she thought. He would never have said good morning to her with a smile on his face when she first arrived. Maybe he had decided she was worth knowing now that he was sure she wouldn't cause any trouble for his family here. His protectiveness of the Glade and its inhabitants was fierce, but she only admired him more for it. Lately he had been approaching her with ideas for projects, and had even admired her work with the intricate trellises she devised for their grape vines. Surely he was just being practical?

Tomorrow would be another Box day, with another greenie, and another bonfire with drink and merriment. They didn't celebrate much here, but they took those nights seriously. She looked forward to it more than anything else here. People let themselves go at the monthly gathering, with the help of Gally's homemade brew, and she enjoyed seeing the uncontrolled smiles and flush on people's faces, watching them dance and wrestle around like boys do.

Would he sit and talk with her again? She felt a dull heat in the pit of her stomach as she remembered the last bonfire. He spent the better part of the night chatting with her about some new plan he had for the stables. They had more livestock now and needed more room, a proper stable and a pasture for them. She remembered the warmth of the bonfire as they sat on the grass, leaned up against a log. They sipped their drinks often, turned towards each other and conversing excitedly about the future. He had left her briefly to retain his title as wrestling champion, but had returned to her shortly after, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear to get her attention, and resumed their conversation like nothing had happened.

She sighed, a bit glum because since that night, he had only had passing words for her. She was reading too much into this and she needed to get a hold of herself before she ruined the delicate balance of life in the Glade. Putting the stopper back into the spout, she ended her shower and got dressed quickly. Her stomach reminded her that she was starving, and she wandered over to the kitchen, where dinner was in full swing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Lexie!"

Newt waved to her from a table at the far end of the kitchen. She waived back, grabbed her dinner quickly and headed over to him. He sat with Minho and Gally on either side of him, Zart and Adam on the opposite side of the table (was this seating arrangement becoming a habit, she wondered?). She sat down at the remaining open corner, across from Gally and next to Zart. The canteen was buzzing with the energy of the day, the boys all glad to be back into their normal routine. Minho looked at her, stopping his attack on his dinner momentarily.

"Did Ben not come back with you?"

"Nope. I think he's still in the map room." She replied. "He seemed even more excited than usual. What happened today."

Minho looked thoughtful for a moment but then just shrugged. Typical Minho.

Lexie returned to her dinner of chicken and green beans, her mind still on the possibilities of tomorrow. Unwittingly, she glanced up at Gally, who was chatting with Newt about the day's progress. He looked happy, and it made her smile in response.

"We're better off than I thought we were," he told the thin blonde next to him, "I laid out the basic plans for the addition to Homestead today and we should be able to start tomorrow."

"That's great!" Newt seemed genuinely excited for him. She watched them talk, feeling peaceful as she took a drink of her water. "I was thinking maybe Lex could give you a hand for the next few days, if she wants to."

She sputtered on her water, and Zart gave her a pat on the back.

"You alright, girl?" Zart chuckled at her.

"What do you need my help for?" She asked a little too forcefully. She cringed at herself, irritated with her inability to be cool. Ever.

Newt grinned at her. A usual habit of his, but she thought it seemed a little sly for her tastes.

"Well, Gally was telling me Fry needs more utensils. Forks, spoons, bowls, cook pots, and the like. You're pretty good with crafting our track-hoe tools and you were a magician with those trellises. I thought they might appreciate the help."

She looked blankly at Newt, his grin still firmly in place. She hazarded a look at Gally, and she was surprised that he looked totally calm about the proposition.

"You don't have to," Gally said matter-of-factly, "but those other klunks aren't very good at detailed work, and I'd rather not be using forks that will give me splinters."

"Hey!" Adam looked indignant. Gally shrugged as if to say 'you know it's true.'

"I would do it myself but I really need to oversee the building of the addition." He looked sincere, and it threw her for a loop.

Lexie blinked a few times, thinking. It wouldn't be so bad getting away from the muddy fields for a while. They had really done all they could there anyway, they just had to wait for them to dry out at this point. It would definitely keep her busy, and she would most likely see a lot of Gally… although she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing at this point.

"Sure, if you can show me the basics, I think I could do it."

"Do what?" Ben took that moment to show up, freshly showered, and pulled up an unused chair to the end of the table. Gally's expression turned slightly sour as he turned back to his food.

Lexie smiled up at Ben.

"I'm going to help make Fry some utensils for the kitchen. But forget about that, what did you find today? You are way too happy and it's suspicious."

He grinned at her and shook his head, digging into his dinner.

"Not ready to tell yet. Don't worry, you'll be the first to know."

"I'm turning in for the night. Lexie, if you want to find me after breakfast tomorrow I can show you the basics to get you started."

Gally didn't wait for a response before he marched out of the kitchen, narrowly missing running into a smaller boy near the door. Lexie frowned after him. What was he mad about all of the sudden? He was always so moody. She caught Alby's eyes from across the kitchen, he had been frowning at Gally's departure as well, and he quirked an eyebrow at her in question. She shrugged lightly and turned back to her friends, who had already moved on to talking about their predictions for tomorrow. What would the new greenie look like? Would they get another girl (this was always a hot topic)? Would Fry get those spices he's been asking for for months? Whatever came up in that Box, they were ready.

As the group finished dinner, they headed for the Homestead. Lexie almost hoped she could run into Gally and ask him what was wrong, but he chose to hang his hammock out in the forest, a good 20 yards back from the Homestead. She had heard him say once that he just didn't like sleeping indoors, didn't like being closed in. She thought that was ironic considering they lived inside 4 cement walls and he build more walls for a living.

As Lexie headed toward her bedroom to turn in for the night, she pulled Newt's sleeve and lead him into her room, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Okay, spill it." She stage whispered it, not trying to disturb the boys who were already sleeping.

He looked at her, wide eyed with an innocent expression.

"Spill what exactly?" She sighed exasperatedly.

"Ugh, Newt, I know you, when you're up to something you get this evil little smirk and it makes me nervous. What are you thinking having me work with Gally tomorrow? Are you guys planning some sort of prank?"

He dropped the innocent act and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

"I'm not blind you know. I see the way you look at him."

She blinked back at him, mouth dropping open a bit in surprise. He had noticed her looking? _She_ had barely noticed herself looking! And it was a recent development!

She gulped a little at his narrowed eyes; he was clearly waiting for her to respond. Was he angry?

"I, uh, what?"

Newt sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand, and looked back at her. His scowl was gone but he did look serious.

"Maybe you don't even realize it yet. I know it's a bit of a surprise to me that it even took this long."

"For what?!" She was nervous. Above all she didn't want to anger her best friend, no matter what it was about. He and Ben were important to her.

"For someone to fall for you, or for you to notice someone else."

She blinked again stupidly, and shook her head in defeat. She held her head in her hands and sighed.

"I don't know what I'm noticing. I'm trying not to notice anything in the first place!"

Newt looked at her sadly. He probably hadn't known that this had already been on her mind so often.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked softly.

Lexie brushed her hands back through her hair, resting them on the back of her neck, and looked at her friend.

"It's not as though I'm planning anything. I don't even know what it is I'm feeling, this is kind of a new thing for me. And if I am feeling something like that, like _falling_ for someone, wouldn't that cause problems? I mean it's not like everyone here can just pair off, I'm the _only_ shucking girl!" She groaned, her frustration boiling over.

Newt reached forward and put his hands firmly on her shoulders, drawing her attention to him. His expression was kind and all-knowing, although she knew he didn't remember anything about relationships, just like she didn't.

"Look. I know some of these slintheads are crude, and say nasty things, but the lot of them really like you as a person, and I know they all respect you. You're a part of our life here now. If you were to show interest in someone, I think that's great. Why would they deny someone happiness when that's all we're striving for each and every day? You deserve it, and so does Gally."

She scoffed then, incredulous.

"Gally does not _fall_ for people. It's just not… him."

Newt raised an eyebrow, dropping his hands down to rest on her wrists.

"Are you sure about that? I mean granted, I haven't asked him anything of the sort, but how would you know if you didn't pursue it? Gally is rough but he's not cruel. If he wasn't interested, he would let you know and he wouldn't be mean about it. He cares about you, too."

Lexie sighed, not willing to give in so easily. She simply couldn't imagine him thinking about her the way she had been thinking about him. In an intimate way, with his arms around her and his lips on hers, his hands in her hair, his scent overpowering her senses. But maybe Newt had a point. She wouldn't want someone else to decide her feelings. Why should she assume him?

She shook her head, and gave Newt a weak smile.

"So what? You're my match maker now?"

Newt cracked a wide smile and wrapped his arms around her neck in a hug.

"That'a girl. And don't worry. I'll talk to Alby about this tomorrow, make sure he doesn't have any objections."

Her eyes widened in panic and she pushed his arms off of her.

"Newt, you wouldn't! That's too embarrassing!"

He laughed openly at her, putting a hand over his mouth to stifle the sound, and she heard a couple Gladers mutter and stir on the other side of the door. She shot him a death glare. She did _not_ want people overhearing this conversation.

"Would you rather tell him yourself? You know he needs to find out one way or the other."

She shook her head emphatically. That would be even more embarrassing.

"Fine, fine! You can talk to him about it. But no one else, please! And tell me what he says!"

He held his hands up in self-defense.

"Alright tiger you got it! Now get some sleep, tomorrow's a big day."

He patted her on the head and walked past her towards the common area of the Homestead.

"Oh, and Lex?" He looked back at her with a slight frown, "Be careful with Ben, okay? I don't know what he'll think about this."

Lexie frowned at his words, but closed the door behind him. She slid down to the floor, taking a deep breath. Newt the match maker.

 _Newt the meddler is more like it._

She would have been completely content harboring her budding feelings for the rest of her life here.

 _Okay… maybe not. I've only been thinking about it for a few days and I'm already going crazy._

But she was more worried than anything. This might seem all innocent now but what if she were to screw something up? What if Ben _wouldn't_ be okay with this? What if she _did_ tell Gally she liked him and he denied her, or laughed in her face? What in the world was she _doing_?

Abandoning the depressing thought train; she stood up, stripped down to her underclothes, and crawled onto her small cot.

 _The cot that Gally made me…_

She groaned. He was going to be the death of her and he didn't even know it!

 **A/N: How is it going so far? Like I said, gonna be a slow burn. Don't worry, lemons be in yer future. I'm finding it a bit hard to establish a clear identity for Lexie. I want her to be strong but obviously she is unsure of herself. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed! I replied to all who I was able to (those not on guest accounts). It is such a great confidence booster to know that there are people enjoying this as much as I am, even those who are just reading it. Just so you know, I am planning on updating at least once a week, possibly more depending on my schedule. I am still not sure where this story stands in relation to the book/movie events. Should Thomas make his cute self known? We shall see. ;)**

Chapter 4

The grass was still dewy from the morning, but not cold or unpleasant. It was refreshing as Lexie sat on the edge of the forest, her back against a tree. The bark was digging into her shoulder blades, through the red flannel shirt she wore over her black tank top, but she didn't mind. It sort of grounded her. She sipped her hot tea, pilfered from Frypan's kitchen this morning, and looked out as the Glade woke up around her.

Boys were slowly emerging from Homestead as the sun rose higher, while some just picked themselves up off the patch of lawn they chose as their bed for the night. She could tell it was going to be a warm day today, and she was glad she had decided on her jean cutoff shorts instead of her usual gray trousers. The smell of breakfast reached her nostrils from Fry's kitchen, but she wasn't hungry today. Their few cows and sheep were making a ruckus in the distance; she looked out over the field and could make out movement. More than likely Winston was up early to feed them, as usual. He really was a great Keeper.

Lexie was up early because her brain just wouldn't shut the hell up. She frowned. She had always been a good sleeper, passing out within a few minutes of her head hitting the pillow, sleeping straight through until morning. But last night she had tossed and turned, mind flicking through one scenario and on to another, but all with a common theme; her failure. Her making her friends mad. Her complicating things here that they worked so hard to keep simple. Her being alone.

She sighed and took another big gulp of her tea, the steamy drink calming her nerves a bit. She knew the 'what ifs' weren't worth bothering on about, but she couldn't help it. Imagining life here without Newt, without Ben, without her comfortable existence amongst these wonderful and ridiculous boys was frightening to her. If she were, as the only girl, to pick a 'boyfriend' (the word seemed juvenile to what she was feeling) it would definitely cause problems. Whether they would be big or small was where things got muddled.

Lexie closed her eyes and groaned, thumping her head back on the tree. Maybe she was being dramatic.

 _Maybe these shuck faces could use a little drama. Bunch of mother hens the lot of them._

"Good morning, Lexie."

Her eyes shot open and she started, nearly pouring her half cup of tea down her front. Her racing heart slowed a bit as she saw who it was.

"Alby, you slinthead! You nearly bathed me in green tea!"

He laughed at her and took a seat in front of her boot-clad feet, sitting cross-legged in the long leafy grass that surrounded the forest. He pulled a serious face but he couldn't conceal the smile in his eyes.

"Well we were running out of ideas to get you to bathe at all so I had to take the opportunity."

"Shuck off," The words were harsh but her delivery wasn't, her smile from ear to ear, "what are you doing up so early?"

Even though he _had_ been a slinthead to scare her, she warmly welcomed the company. Any distraction from her own thoughts at this point was a welcome one.

"It's not so early anymore, Lady Glader. But it's probably hard to tell if you've been up all night." He looked at her with a knowing expression.

Lexie imagined that Alby had experienced his share of sleepless nights as well. They didn't talk about it often, but no one ever forgot that he was the first one here. Alone. For a month. 30 nights straight of not knowing what the shuck was going on, without the luxury the others had of having a face here to greet them when they came up out of that bloody miserable Box with no memories and no name. There was a reason Alby was leader here and that the fact was rarely questioned. People respected his experience, and even more so respected the fair and kind person he was because of them.

She sighed, picking at the grass below her boots, choosing not to answer Alby's anti-question. What could she say to him? She didn't even know what to say to herself at this point. She was also fairly sure that Newt had yet to speak to him about their hushed conversation last night. Feeling a little guilty, she kept her eyes down. She hadn't ever kept a secret from Alby before, but did this really qualify?

Alby leaned forward and gently touched her exposed ankle, but didn't let it linger. Lexie looked up at him and instantly relaxed. This was Alby. He was sitting there, looking completely relaxed and sure of himself as always. Patient, kind, rational Alby. He wouldn't hate her for this, whatever this was or would be. She would talk to him about it eventually. Whenever she could decide what _it_ was.

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. In the kitchen."

Lexie's eyebrows furrowed but she knew what he was referring to, she was just glad he didn't decide to push the point about her sleep deprived state. She was also pretty curious about it herself. True, Gally had always been quick to anger, but last night had a different vibe to it than his usual red-faced outbursts. He was also quick to confront someone about something if he had a problem with it; storming out of the dining room really wasn't his style. It had left her pretty curious, but she didn't think anyone else had taken much notice of it.

"I know Gally is hot tempered," he continued on as if reading her mind, "but he's not usually so quiet about it. I just wanted to make sure you two weren't arguing about anything."

Lexie shook her head.

"No, I don't know what that was about, honestly. Everyone has been good lately. I was wondering about it myself but I didn't want to bother him about it."

Alby nodded back at her and stared out over the Glade, a thoughtful look on his face. Most everyone was awake now; she had to get to work soon.

"I don't think you would be bothering him, Lex."

She raised a brow at him but said nothing. What was that supposed to mean? He looked back at her and the pensive look was gone, replaced by an easy smile.

"If you figure out what's going on in his shuck mind, let me know. The slinthead won't ever let me help him unless I force him to. I know…" He stopped abruptly. He looked sad, and Lexie felt uncomfortable for it. Alby was always a steadfast strength in her life. He swallowed whatever was bothering him and continued, looking her straight in the eye, deep brown meeting bright green. "I know I'm not your father, or a father to any of them, and most of them get annoyed when I butt in. But I just want people to be happy here. As happy as they can be, considering."

Lexie smiled then, shaking her head. She stood up, tea cup forgotten on the ground beside her, and reached her hands down toward him. He took them and accepted her help to stand up, and she continued to wrap his arms around her back, throwing her own around his shoulders in a tight hug.

"Oh Alby, you're wonderful. All of us would be lost without you, and you know it."

He sighed and tightened his grip on her, and she was glad she could help him in some small way when it seemed like he was constantly going out of his way to help her. She held him for a few long moments, eventually pulling him back, holding him at arm's length by his solid shoulders, his hands resting lightly on her waist.

"Seriously, if you were gone, they'd probably forget to sleep, and eat. They would go crazy, probably stop wearing clothes altogether – which would be painful for everyone involved." She knew she was being absurd, but he was smiling now so she continued. "Newt would start communicating only with the corn stalks and Winston would start sending sheep out into the Maze. It would be anarchy."

He threw back his head and laughed, and she smiled back at him. That was the Alby she knew. He looked back at her, mirth crinkled in the corners of his eyes.

"Well I suppose I'll save you from that reality and continue to be a meddling shuck then, yeah?"

Lexie nodded once, firmly.

"That's what I like to hear!"

He shook his head, still chuckling, and walked back towards the Glade.

"I'll see you at lunch, Lady Glader. Keep these shanks in line for me, will you?"

She didn't reply, simply waving at him as he left, and smiled to herself. Leave it to Alby to bring her out of her silly funk without even trying. It made her feel so much better to be able to help him even a little bit; he was always so independent on his own. She was actually relieved he hadn't asked her if she was okay or what was bothering her, because she most likely would have broken down and went on a tirade of poorly thought out scenarios and pouty faces. Focusing on someone else for a few minutes had put everything into perspective.

What would she do without these crazy boys? I mean, surely she had managed life without them before the Maze, but that didn't really matter now, did it? This was her life now, her only life, and it began 7 months ago when she was born from a loud metal Box full of rations and livestock. For better or for worse, these 40-something boys (some of them men now, she was coming to realize) were her family. And she really didn't want it any other way.

Bending to scoop up her teacup, she made her way toward the workshop on the opposite side of the Glade. Thinking of the day ahead of her made her stomach whirl, full of butterflies, but she tried her best to ignore it. Her talk with Alby had made her feel positive and carefree. Whatever happened would happen. She would just let it.

After detouring by the kitchen to deposit her used dish, she made the rest of the walk to her destination, waving occasional hellos to the other Gladers. Approaching the workshop, she looked around the builders, some here some there, all gathering tools and moving materials toward the Homestead. It would be nice to have another large room to hang more hammocks. The rainy days when everyone had taken cover inside had really made them realize how cramped it was getting in there. Some of the boys preferred to sleep outside when the weather was nice, but they needed to be able to accommodate everyone indoors when needed. Plus, new boys were still arriving steadily.

The double doors of the wooden building were already swung wide open, so she entered in search of Gally. The building wasn't enormous, but was big enough for small projects as well as housing most of the builders' tools. Looking at the far wall she could see them all hung up, neatly organized for the most part, with some gaps for the ones that were already being used. They had managed to acquire a fairly large collection, some having been sent up in the Box and some having been made by Gally and the others. At this point she didn't think there was anything they couldn't fabricate if they put their minds to it properly.

Moving her eyes to the left she saw some works in progress – what looked like some crude wooden chairs, half woven hammocks, and other odds and ends that were otherwise forgotten by the wayside in face of a bigger task. Scanning sideways across the largely empty workspace in front of her, dotted here and there with empty tables, her eyes eventually fell to the right wall. A table ran the entire length of the wall, various tools scattered about, and sat approximately in the middle and looking very much absorbed in his work was Gally.

He was sitting in a tall stool, his height requiring him to bend over slightly to see whatever it was he was concentrating on. He wore his usual outfit; a red long sleeve that was pushed up to his elbows, gray trousers cinched around his knees to keep them out of the way. His tool belt lay across the table off to his left and out of the way. The midmorning light filtered in through high windows, highlighting dust and particles in the air, and a particularly brave beam fell upon his blonde hair and onto the table in front of him. His forehead was scrunched, eyes narrowed and looking completely absorbed in whatever he was working on, but she thought he looked good that way. She thought he looked good in any way.

She blushed at her own thoughts, shaking her head. This was going to be a long day.

Walking forward slowly, she intentionally scuffed her feet on the plank flooring to get his attention. She didn't want to startle him and mess up whatever he was doing. Her plan worked and he turned his head toward her quickly, looking irritated. His eyes softened in recognition and he raised his right hand, motioning her over to him. Feeling more sure of herself, she approached his space and sat in the stool next to him.

He looked at her, mouth twisted to the side, and gave her a small smile.

"So you decided to show up then? I was starting to think you bailed on me."

Lexie scoffed.

"Of course not! I mean, being a track-hoe is fun and all but I'm not gonna pass up a chance to get out of the mud for a bit. Plus I can only stand Newt's singing for so long." She grinned at him and threw him a wink.

 _A wink?! What the shuck are you doing, you weirdo?_

She died internally for a second, waiting for her inevitable humiliation, before he chuckled softly at her. Letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding, she looked back at the rough wooden pieces in front of them. It looked as though he had been getting her started on her project.

"Well, you just weren't at breakfast, and that's kinda weird for you. I usually see you there every morning." His voice was soft and it startled her, she was used to his sound carrying across the room and had gotten used to it. He was fiddling with what looked to be a rudimentary bowl in front of him, avoiding her intent stare.

"Ah, I'm sorry," She apologized, suddenly feeling a little sheepish at having worried him, "I didn't even think that anyone would notice. I just didn't sleep well and I guess it sort of ruined my appetite."

Gally nodded, still not looking at her.

"I think you probably worried Ben, too. He asked about you." His voice sounded hard this time, no longer soft, but it did seem a bit more natural. Still, she frowned at his tone of voice when he spoke about her friend. What did he have against Ben anyway?

"I'll make sure to apologize to him later when he gets back." She said tightly, and she no longer felt nervous but annoyed. She gestured to the pieces in front of them, sighing loudly. "So… show me your ways."

He gave her a strange look and laughed, shaking his head. The severe mood was broken slightly.

"I don't think you're cool enough for _my_ ways, but I can show you where to start anyway. It takes years of skill to be this great." He stretched and cracked his neck, obviously just trying to embellish his joke in a silly way. Lexie found herself staring anyway.

"Yeah yeah, _Captain_ Gally," She was smiling despite her efforts, "I get the point. You're great at being tall and attaching pieces of things to other pieces of things." She rolled her eyes dramatically and he laughed at her again, pushing her shoulder lightly.

"Hey, I _am_ good at those things. How nice of you to notice!"

Her eyebrows lifted up near her hairline and she turned, poised to abandon this idea altogether. While it was true that his antics were making her all warm and flushed and she couldn't for the life of her wipe this stupid grin off her face, she didn't have to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

Gally quickly reached out and grabbed her by the elbow, not firm enough to hurt but definitely firm enough to make itself known. She stopped in her tracks, eyes finding his hand on her before traveling up along his (very nice) torso to meet his own. His smile was gone, but he looked at her imploringly.

"Hey, I'm just messing around. You just looked a little down is all. I wanted to see you smile."

Lexie's expression softened and she did just that, the corners of her mouth turning up all on their own. She suddenly felt silly for being annoyed at him in the first place. He smiled in return and she felt her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the heat of his grip on her through the thin material of her flannel shirt, and she wondered if he was always so warm. She once again recalled the few brief hugs they had shared, his arms completely engulfing her into his chest, and decided that yes, he probably was.

Adam chose that moment to literally stumble into the workshop, already sweating from his work, and looked at Gally. He was clearly annoyed when he spotted him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So are you gonna flirt in here all morning or are you gonna come give us a hand? I thought you wanted the final say in the dimensions of this thing."

Gally dropped her arm like he'd been burned, quickly standing up off the stool. Lexie smirked at him, loving the fact that he looked guilty, as though they had been doing anything but talking.

 _Well, talking, and smiling, and elbow grabbing._ _Totally normal stuff._

"I, uh, I'll be right there Adam. Just get started without me."

Adam rolled his eyes, turning and exiting the building. Gally sighed and looked back at her, and she swore she saw a slight redness to his face, but that was impossible since Gally didn't _blush_. He gave her a wry smile and spent the next few minutes showing her what he wanted her to do; the proper way to carve the pieces into usable tableware, how to find the grain of the wood, etcetera. When he thought she got the gist of it he left, he gave her shoulder a squeeze and left her to it, with a promise to come check on her at lunch.

Lexie dove into the new work with gusto, and before long she found herself really enjoying the assignment. It was a lot different than what she was used to, but it was a welcomed change of pace. Being mostly alone in the workshop, she had plenty of time to think as she worked. She couldn't help but wonder what Newt was doing, if he was making any changes or if he was just pulling weeds, or passing the time singing silly songs as he was known to do. It was pathetic, missing him after one morning apart. But he was a part of her and there was so much going on in her head right now. Being around him always made things clear.

Being around Gally, on the other hand, made things so muddled that she couldn't think straight. One moment she was anxious to see him, then annoyed by him, then getting lost in his gorgeous green eyes, and who did he think he was grabbing her arm? Just because he was tall and handsome and smelled wonderful and make her knees weak and her skin tingle didn't mean _anything_. She shook her head, trying to focus on the piece in front of her. Whatever would happen would happen.

The rest of the morning passed without event, and by the position of the sun, lunch time was near. Lexie stood up from the hard stool, stretching her stiff limbs and surveyed her progress. She had a small collection of bowls and spoons almost finished. They still needed to be sanded, but she was taking her time trying to make them perfect. It was easy for her to get lost in her tasks, but she felt good, like she accomplished something worthwhile with her time.

Hearing commotion behind her, she turned to see Gally strolling in to the workshop. He was covered in sweat, his hair disheveled and sticking up at odd angles. Even though Lexie was inside she knew she had been right about it being a warm day today. Gally must have agreed, seeing as he had ditched the red long sleeve from that morning and now wore a gray tank top, his arms looking a bit tanner than usual from the day's sun. He stood a few feet away from her, looking over her work. He leaned over her to pick up a piece and turned it around, looking at it from all angles.

"This looks _good_ , Lex. You really have knack for this stuff."

She flushed at his praise, not even realizing that she had been awaiting his approval. If Gally was anything it was honest, and it felt nice to hear him appreciate her strengths. And if _she_ was honest, it felt best because she wanted him to be proud of her.

"Thanks, Gally! This is actually pretty fun. I know I have a ways to go but I think this is a good start."

Gally nodded his agreement and set the piece back down where he got it from, leaning close to her again in the process. His proximity was hard to ignore and she felt the warmth in her belly increase, that blissful tingle spreading outward. She could smell the sweat on him, the earthy scent mixing with pine and something that was really just _Gally_. The heat was radiating off of him, even sans his red over shirt, and she wondered what he would do if she hugged him right then.

 _Probably be really weirded out and run away._ Lexie thought glumly.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep rumbling, accompanied by a loud low buzzer that sounded throughout the Glade. Her eyes shot toward the door, seeing the other gladers sprinting toward the middle of the field, their excited shouts all carrying over one another. Gally looked back at her, his eyes were lit up and his grin was contagious. She had almost forgotten it was Box day!

He grabbed her hand in his own and she didn't have time to register how she felt about her small digits being completely enveloped in his own before he said to her,

"Come on Lex, time to meet the new greenie!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for the week and half break! I am at the mercy of my work schedule, and I also managed to pick up some sort of head cold so I'm feeling a little miserable. However, the next chapter is already over halfway written, and I expect to upload it in the next day or two. Thank you again to those who reviewed and are still enjoying the story! This chapter isn't very action packed but it was nonetheless important to the story. Don't worry; the next one is a little more… spicy. Bon appetite!**

Chapter 5

Lexie knew she should be more excited about the Box's appearance and the arrival of fresh supplies and a spankin-new green bean, but her mind was completely preoccupied with the fact that Gally had yet to let go of her hand. He had pulled her with him out of the workshop, setting off in a light jog toward the square opening in the middle of the Glade. She could tell that he kept his pace leisurely so that she could keep up with him, and she wondered why he didn't just sprint off with the other boys like he usually did. Not that she was complaining, his hand felt marvelous wrapped around hers.

Coming up to the source of the excitement, they slowed their jog to join the group that was forming; a majority of the others were already there. All of them were waiting anxiously for the Box to make its final ascent to the surface as excited murmurs and final bets rippled through the small crowd. Lexie came to a stop beside Gally, scanning the mob for one face in particular. Seeing a blonde scruff of hair appear on the other side of the gap, she felt the smile on her face and before she knew it she raised her free hand and called out to him.

"Newwwwt!" She called loudly. These shanks really were making a lot of noise, and her own voice didn't carry very far on its own. She was prepared to throw things if she had to, casualties be damned.

Thankfully it seemed like he had already been keeping his eye out for her, and he heard his name above the din, turning his soft brown eyes in her direction. She saw him recognize her, a relaxed smile gracing his features, before his gaze flicked down to where she and Gally's hands were still joined. He raised an eyebrow at her in surprise, and she gulped down her panic. She was in for a brutal game of 20 questions the next time they were alone. Walking quickly around the gap and through the crowd, his limp barely slowed him down as he made his way toward her.

Gally quickly dropped her hand as though he had forgotten he was still gripping hers. She glanced at him, and he scratched the back of his head as he shot her an apologetic grin. She felt a pang of disappointment at the feeling of her now empty hand.

 _Why is he always dropping my limbs all over the place like I'm a hot potato?_ She thought with an internal huff.

Still, she smiled lightly at him, trying to put him at ease. Although she was _completely_ unsure what was going on between them, if anything, she was more than happy to avoid any uncomfortable questions from nosey boys (other than Newt). Pretending that nothing out of the ordinary was happening was easier than acknowledging the growing whirl of emotions that seemed to have taken up residence in her chest. Her heart beat faster in agreement. They were lucky it was Box day; a new face might be the only thing more interesting than some Glade gossip to most of these shanks.

Newt finally made it to where she was standing patiently next to Gally, behind the front line of over excited and rowdy boys. He nearly pushed another boy out of his way in irritation.

"Bloody hell, you'd think these shucks have never seen the bloody Box before." He was so adorable when he was grumpy. His scowl conveyed annoyance but she could see the anticipation behind his narrowed eyes.

Not bothering with a greeting, Lexie threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. He smelled dirty and was about a thousand degrees, but she didn't care. She inhaled his t-shirt deeply, the rough white cotton scratching her nose a bit, and immediately felt at ease. Being with Newt was like being home. Or at least she imagined this is what it felt like. It was the closest thing she had at any rate.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her loosely, clearly happy to see her as well. His height allowed him to rest his chin on her head easily.

"I missed you too, Lex." She pulled back and grinned at him, happy that he understood her so effortlessly.

Lexie was just a physical person. It was too hard for her to put feelings into words most of the time, so she preferred more tactile means of communication. It hadn't always been this simple what with being surrounded by prying teenagers 24/7. She had probably been here a solid month before she and Newt were finally able to convince them all that they were indeed _just_ friends. Once they saw her become close to Ben as well, and treating him nearly the same, they finally accepted that she (or as they saw it, _all_ girls) were just clingy creatures. Nowadays they took no notice of it, used to the sight of her wrapped up in her friend's arms or under one of their shoulders.

Newt released her from his lazy hug but kept an arm around her shoulder, holding her loosely to his side. She noticed him looking over her head at Gally and she could almost feel the mischievousness rolling off of him. Newt gave Gally a measured once over and she felt the tall builder beside her shift slightly. Shooting her best friend a death glare was her best option for looking intimidating, but she subtly elbowed him in the ribs just to make her point. Of course it didn't matter because she was pretty sure Newt only lived to torment her.

"Hey Gally, how's your new apprentice doing? The shank giving you any trouble?" He smiled a too-wide smile. Lexie stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on the commotion in front of her. "She's not, you now, _distracting_ you or anything?" She figured the color of her face could probably rival one of their tomatoes at this point.

Gally, bless his heart, handled the comment with ease.

"Nah not at all, she's doing really well actually. I think maybe she got put on the wrong job." He cleared his throat, nodding as if to agree with his own statement. He stared fixedly at the event unfolding in front of them, seeming to take her cue of avoiding this whole conversation. _Okay, maybe he isn't completely nonchalant._

"Well I could always loan her out to you. For a fee of course."

Lexie coughed and elbowed him a little harder this time, turning her face to him as she mustered her best martyred victim look. He let out an 'oof' that quickly dissolved into loud giggling that drew a few curious looks from those standing closest to the trio.

"I, er…" Gally was struggling. Lexie groaned. Her blush was most likely a permanent fixture on her face at this point.

"Don't mind him, Gal. He's been living with the plants so long that the social deprivation finally caught up with him. He doesn't remember how to talk to people anymore." She glared at her still snickering friend. "Not that his sense of humor was ever that remarkable."

Gally gave her a questioning look, the corners of his mouth upturned in a grin. Apparently he was a little more impressed with Newt's humor than she was. He leaned down toward her ear and spoke softly.

"Did you just... call me _Gal?_ "

Lexie was spared from answering by a loud thunk that vibrated the earth below her feet. The Box had finally reached its destination. Alby stepped forward, an authority among the masses, and gave a nod. A few boys reached down and hoisted the metal doors open, but no one dared jump inside before getting a good look at the contents. Curiosity got the best of her and she moved forward between the bodies in front of her, peering over the edge to get a better view.

Gally moved forward as well, waiting for Alby's go ahead to jump down. Gally was almost always the one to jump first. His intimidating stature made it unlikely that a greenie would attack him out of fear, and if it happened he would be more than capable of disabling the scared newcomer.

Looking down, Lexie could see the normal assortment of goods, mostly wooden crates full of various staples that were hard for them to cultivate on their own. In one corner there were sacks of flour, sugar, and salt, and some other small bags that she assumed were more interesting spices. Frypan would be pleased. In another corner she could see a coil of rope, a box full of new shoes, and what looked like books. Scattered around were other odds and ends that were probably requests sent down last month.

In the middle of it all, sprawled out on his back and staring up with squinted eyes at the bright sky above him, was their new greenie.

He was handsome. Lexie couldn't help but notice that first. His dark brown hair fell messily across his forehead; his honey brown eyes darted around in distress. One hand was thrown across his face to help shade it from the sudden influx of light and she could see by the flex of his arm that he was strong. Built. Not as solidly muscular and wide set as Gally, but not as lean and sinewy as Newt.

Alby nodded again at Gally and he jumped in, landing heavily on the grate flooring in front of the nervous newbie. He extended a hand down to him.

"Welcome to your new home, greenie."

The dark haired boy took his offering without hesitation. Lexie's eyebrows raised in surprise. Either this greenie was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. When she had come up in that infernal metal prison she had been terrified, Newt had talked to her for a solid 20 minutes before she willingly climbed out. Of course, the fact that she was the only female in a sea of male testosterone had not been lost on her.

The newbie followed Gally's lead, hopping up on a wooden crate before climbing out of the Box. He looked around rapidly, trying to see in every direction at once as the inquisitive gladers crowded around him. She could tell he was a bit upset, and enormously confused, but there was no panic in his eyes. Only questions.

"Where am I? Who are you people?" His voice was hesitant but clear.

Alby stepped closer to him. He kept his arms hanging loosely at his sides, a passive expression on his face. He exuded calm.

"You're in the Glade, and we're your new family. My name is Alby. What's your name, greenie?"

The handsome boy's brow furrowed at the unfamiliar term.

"Thomas… my name's Thomas."

Immediately a ripple of surprise passed through the group. No one had ever remembered their name that quickly. It might take a few hours or a few days, but there was always a period of time where that dark spot in your memories is all encompassing and even your own identity is a mystery. They had all experienced it. Lexie felt a sudden wave of resentment wash over her at the fact that this attractive newcomer didn't have to experience that terror.

Alby glanced around and his shock was evident, too.

"Thomas? What else do you remember?"

Thomas opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He closed his eyes, seemingly trying to coerce his memory to return, but the loss was written on his face when he finally gave up. Lexie looked down at her feet and immediately felt guilty for her moment of cold-heartedness. The feeling Thomas was experiencing right now was not something she would wish on anyone.

"Her."

Lexie's eyes snapped to Thomas'. _Her?_ She was most definitely the only one here who could be the target of that pronoun, unless he was talking about the cows. His brown orbs bore intensely into hers and she felt her heart drop to her stomach. How could he possibly know _her?_

"I remember _her_."

Thomas raised his hand to point at Lexie and her view was immediately blocked by the two men that shifted in front of her. Gally on her left and Newt on her right had effectively closed ranks, creating a protective wall between her and the greenie. Over their shoulders she could see Alby place a hand on Thomas's forearm. The tension of the gladers around her was almost palpable.

"Greenie. I want you to think about this, and I want you to answer honestly. How do you know her?" Alby's voice was deadly serious.

Thomas shook his head, bewildered.

"I don't know. I don't even know her name, but I remember her face. And, that I've met her before, maybe?" He let out a frustrated sigh. Everyone around them was staring, at him and at her, and she felt inexplicably self-conscious. Surely they knew that she had no idea who this guy was? She knew she should be afraid of this new person, this new information, but all she felt was pity for him. He looked lost, and they could all relate to that feeling.

"Why don't I remember anything?"

Alby sighed. She could tell he was dropping the matter for now, but she knew this wasn't something that was going to be swept under the rug. Remembering something, remembering _anything_ from before the Glade was huge. It was new. There hadn't been anything new here in a long time.

"Don't worry. We've all been through what you're feeling right now. Why don't you come take a walk with me, I'll show you around."

Thomas didn't look at all convinced about this whole 'don't worry' concept, but he went with Alby regardless as he took him through the motions of 'new glader orientation.' Prying eyes followed after them and Lexie shrunk behind Newt's tall frame in hopes of being ignored. She hated being the center of attention. Gally took a step forward, taking up the space that Alby and Thomas had just vacated.

"Show's over shanks, we've got supplies to haul up." His voice carried easily over all the gossip and excited conversation, and the boys all got to work moving the provisions up and out of the Box. Lexie sighed with relief. Newt, still in front of her, turned and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Please tell me you haven't got some secret identity that I don't know about." She wrinkled her nose up at him.

"What are you talking about? You know me better than I know myself."

He gave her a no-nonsense look and poked her nose, causing her to chuckle. He grinned back at her, but the seriousness crept back into his face. He looked troubled.

"So you really don't know that shank? Because for whatever reason, he seems to know you. Or at least your pretty face."

She let herself focus on Thomas' face in her mind, trying to let a memory in, to grasp any familiarity that she might have with the dark haired boy. But there was nothing. Only the usual blankness whenever she tried to recall anything from before her life here.

She shook her head firmly.

"I got nothing."

Newt pursed his lips. He was obviously vexed by this new development.

"I want you to keep your distance from him, at least for the moment. If he tries to talk to you – which I'm sure he will – just make sure you're not on your own."

"He didn't seem very dangerous to me, Newt."

He ran a hand over her hair affectionately.

"We don't know him yet. Memory is a powerful thing. You know that any one of us would do just about anything to get ours back. If his only one is of you, then he _could_ very well be dangerous. Please just be cautious. For me."

Lexie was a bit taken aback by the gravity of his statement, but she nodded her consent. She could tell he meant it. Although he was being a bit melodramatic, she could imagine how it would feel if their roles were reversed and someone was a threat to _his_ safety.

 _They would have to run pretty fast after I threw them to the Grievers._

He smiled and threw an arm around her shoulders, breaking the tension. He began leading them in the direction of the forest.

"What do you say we gather up some firewood? We've got a bonfire to prepare for, yeah?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As the sun finally set, dipping below the western wall, Alby yelled the signal and a circle of torches were thrown into the pyre. The dry tinder she and Newt had helped gather earlier sparked immediately and the flames erupted high above their heads. Their anticipation was broken as everyone whooped and cheered, ready for a night of music, dancing, and drinks. Lexie cheered along from her spot on one of the several logs arranged around the fire.

Nights like these were what kept her going. Seeing everyone happy, cherishing life as they knew it, and embracing their lifestyle here in the Glade. She could spend hours laughing and dancing with her friends and it made it easier to forget their troubles even just for one night. The Maze would still be there tomorrow. They could afford some well-deserved entertainment.

She eyed Thomas across the way, his attention on Alby as he spoke to him. She didn't know what would become of his 'memory' of her, but she honestly didn't really care. Having to add a new person to the group was always problematic, to be sure, but it also renewed their vigor. They got a chance to be proud of what they had accomplished here in their little space in the world. They got the opportunity to share it with someone who was lost like they had been; who needed a home to be proud of.

Sitting next to her on the cozy log-bench was Ben, freshly showered after his day in the Maze. If he was exhausted from the hours of running, Lexie couldn't see it. His eyes were bright from the reflected light of the fire and the expectation of a great night. He was close to her, close enough that his jean clad thigh occasionally brushed her bare skin while they were talking, but she didn't mind. She missed him during the day and was glad they were getting some time to catch up.

Ben had already heard about the incident with the new greenie, Thomas. Naturally word travels fast when you live in a small cement box with dozens of young gossips.

"I just don't get it. How can he remember your face but not how he knows you? I mean I get how, but why would the Creators let him keep that?"

He spoke rhetorically, because none of them knew or would ever know why the Creators did what they did. But still, any break from the daily monotony of Glade life was a welcome one for them.

Lexie shrugged noncommittally.

"No idea. Maybe they messed up? Like, maybe we knew each other before all this and they just couldn't erase me completely?"

Ben knocked his shoulder into hers, grinning.

"That's because you're too awesome to erase, Lex."

She rolled her eyes, used to his brown-nose tactics.

"Ha-ha. But seriously. The Creators are only human, right? It makes sense that they would screw up once and awhile. We should be glad they didn't accidentally send us a Griever or something. Or something worse, like another Minho."

Minho, who was seated on the other side of Ben, reached behind him to push her lightly.

"Like you shanks would ever be so lucky!"

Lexie and Ben laughed at him and he puffed out his chest as far as he could, looking down his nose at them as though he was a pompous king of the Glade. Ben poked him hard in the chest and the air rushed out of his lungs. Lexie laughed harder, holding her sides. Minho pouted.

"You two are hilarious." He couldn't have sounded more sarcastic. "But have you ever thought that maybe the Creators _aren't_ human? How do we know we're not just in some huge automated machine-thing?"

He gave them a look that said 'think about that' before he stood up, walking over to their makeshift bar near Fry's kitchen. It was really just a long, tall wooden table, but it served its purpose. Tonight that purpose was holding jars upon jars of Gally's special drinks. Lexie was actually a bit eager to try it tonight since he had been claiming this was a new recipe, something a little easier to stomach than his previous brews. Although she always partook of the libations, she couldn't deny that the morning after wasn't always the most pleasant.

Ben followed her eyes to the table.

"Do you want a drink, Lex?

Her eyes found his again and she nodded resolutely. Mission get-tipsy was a go.

"It's time, Benjamin."

Smiling softly at her, he reached over and cupped her cheek gently. His thumb ran from the corner of her mouth to her ear, soft skin meeting softer skin. It slipped underneath a black wave of hair that framed her face, having fallen loose from her pony tail sometime earlier in the day. Lexie held still, a deer caught in headlights, disarmed by the warm look in his eyes. Hadn't they just been joking around and insulting Minho's ego a moment ago?

"I'll be right back."

He let his hand slip away and Lexie was left to sit alone for a few minutes, a bit of shock settling over her. She knew she probably looked ridiculous, wide eyed with her mouth hanging open slightly, and she snapped it shut. What was _that_ about?

While it was true that she was always in contact with her friends, hugging, linking arms, even holding hands occasionally, Ben's hand on her face had felt decidedly _intimate_. Lexie shook her head slightly and tried to dispel the anxiety in her chest. Her days had been full of way too many heavy thoughts lately. She just needed a drink and some friend time.

Scanning the crowd, her mood lightened immediately. Everyone was already having a good time. Groups of boys scattered around the central fire, clustered but chaotic all at once. Off to her right were a few who were making a rhythm on makeshift drums, some of the braver ones already dancing in front of them, taking turns in a small circle. The beat was fast and it made her want to sway to the music. Several people were seated on logs like she was, just laughing and talking, letting the warmth of the flames fuel their conversations. There was a decent sized collection all lingering around the bar as well, the homemade alcohol being an obvious centerpiece. But the largest crowd was gathered around a large circle of sand for the main event.

Gally had already won his first match, against one of the slicers, and was brushing the sand off his hands as he waited for his next opponent. It had long ago become a kind of challenge for the guys to try to beat Gally at their rough wrestling game. Only two people had succeeded that she knew of; Alby, who rarely participated but was actually rather good at technical fighting, and Minho, who she had only seen spar once. He had completely trounced Gally, moving so fast that the taller boy couldn't get a hold on him, and had never stepped in the circle again. Not everyone joined in on the event, but everyone did enjoy watching it. Letting off steam was a necessity when you lived with so many young men.

Lexie let herself watch him as he threw himself at his next challenger, using a well-placed foot to trip him up. She was allowed to look, right? She wasn't sure if she could stop, anyhow. Following his movements closely, she could already tell he was going to win this one. But she wasn't really concerned about the outcome of the fight. Something about watching him in his element, using his natural strength and just being completely _dominant_ made her blood pump faster. He was fierce against every adversary, but not abusive, and always determined to win. She imagined what it would be like to have him look at her with that intensity, that _heat_ behind his eyes, and she felt that familiar tension coil within her.

He won the match easily, of course. Sweat was dripping from his brow and he pulled his shirt off, wiping it across his forehead. Lexie's stomach dropped. She had goose bumps and yet she was burning up as she watched him under the pretense of being interested in the wrestling matches. He threw his shirt out of the ring and stretched his arms above his head, smiling as someone congratulated 'Captain Gally.' The years of physical labor and aging into a young adult had served him well; he was completely cut. Strong collar bones leading into wide, solid shoulders, connecting to a well-developed chest and a natural six pack, and finally to that teasing V of muscle that continued on beneath the waistband of his pants. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, but still she rubbed her thighs together, craving the friction. The growing wetness between her legs was a clear indicator that it was going to be a _long_ night.

Ben reclaimed his spot next to her, holding out a jar of amber colored liquid in her direction. Lexie started as she was pulled back to reality, nearly slipping off the end of the log. He snickered at her and she glared at him, snatching the jar out of his hand. Her face was burning up from thoughts of a half-naked Gally, but thankfully the warmth of the fire as well as her clumsiness gave her some camouflage. She took an experimental sip of her drink. The alcohol was strong but sweet, it tasted of cinnamon and apples, and it burned a pleasant path down her throat. This was _definitely_ an improvement from the old bitter recipe they had been drinking for months.

She looked at Ben, true surprise on her face.

"This is _really good!_ Like, amazingly good. Have you tried it yet?"

She took another drink, a proper one this time. She could already feel the warmth spreading over her skin, from her belly outwards. Drinking once a month didn't do much for her tolerance level. Ben took a pull from his own jar.

"Yeah, I have to admit I'm impressed. I almost _want_ to taste this one."

Lexie nodded her agreement.

"I'll have to ask Gally what his secret is. I might have to start brewing some of this for myself!"

She elbowed him to let him know she was joking, and he slipped his arm through hers, linking them at the elbows. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but Ben wasn't usually quite this touchy-feely. Lexie figured the alcohol must be getting to him as well. His blue eyes found hers again, but she found herself not wanting to hold his intense gaze.

"How have you been, Lex? I feel bad… I wish I could spend more time with you during the day." He said regretfully.

Lexie squeezed his arm with hers.

"I'm fine, Ben, really. There's a lot going on to keep me busy. And you know my tall, blonde, mother hen looks out for me when you can't."

Ben breathed out a laugh at that, shifting his arm to wrap around her waist. He was warm, almost too warm as his heat combined with that from the fire and alcohol in her system, and it made her feel a little smothered.

"Ah yes, I can always count on Newt to keep you out of trouble. But is he taking good care of you?"

"Did someone call for a mother hen? Perhaps it was a damsel in distress?"

As if summoned by his name and her discomfort, Newt appeared in front of them, a half empty jar held loosely in his hand. His hair was slightly disheveled and Lexie could see that his eyes were already looking a little glassy. He held out his free hand toward her, bowing low at the waist.

"Fair Lady Glader, would you do me the honor of sharing a dance with me?"

A huge grin spread across his face; he was obviously enjoying himself. She cracked a genuine smile at his antics and sighed quietly in relief at his timing. Newt was _always_ there when she needed him the most. She reached forward, placing her hand in his and bowing in return.

"Why of course, Sir Newton, it would be a privilege."

She stood up, turning back to wave a quick goodbye to Ben as Newt dragged her towards the other dancers. Ben smiled at her as she left, but he looked troubled, and it worried her. What was on his mind lately? He still hadn't told her what he had seen in the Maze. The news would come out sooner or later, because secrets weren't really a thing here, but something within him had clearly shifted.

She didn't have time to dwell on it as they neared the drum circle and Newt deposited their drinks off to the side before taking her hands and spinning her around their makeshift dance space. He spun her around, twirling them back and forth, making her laugh uncontrollably. Finally he pulled her close in a full body hug, laughing even as he spoke quietly in her ear.

"You looked like you really needed saving there, damsel."

Lexie grimaced slightly as they continued dancing.

"It was that obvious?"

He placed a hand on her waist and grasped hers with his free one, leading them in an over exaggerated waltz. Her giggling must be loud and obnoxious at this point, but she didn't care. He shrugged at her question.

"Eh, only if you had eyes."

She rolled hers and slapped his shoulder, but their laughter never stopped.

The next hour or so was spent at the mercy of her best friend as he entertained her, dipping, spinning, and just generally being silly. They took turns running to the bar table for refills, and after a couple trips they were both feeling deliciously warm and fuzzy. Other people came and went, joining in on their wild dancing; feeding in to the infectious good mood that everyone was in. Minho came over at some time to show them all up, as he could actually bust a pretty decent move unlike the rest of them. A few drunken boys tried to do back flips to hilarious (and sometimes painful) ends. Eventually Lexie's stamina ran out and she bent over, hands on her knees to catch her breath.

Newt held his arms out to his sides, still swaying to the drum beat. Or perhaps because he had drank enough of the cinnamon apple beverage that he just couldn't stand still anymore.

"What's the matter, darling? Can't keep up?" He taunted her. That shuckface.

Straightening up, Lexie placed her hands on her hips and glared at her exuberant dance partner.

"Aww shuck it, dancing queen! I'm tired! I'm gonna go get another drink, you want one?"

Newt feigned hurt, clutching his chest.

"You wound my heart, Lady Glader! I fear I need refreshment in order to go on!" He keeled over.

She moved to push him as she strode past, but he dodged her, amused, and turned to talk to one of their improvised musicians. Lexie shook her head, chuckling to herself, and made her way once again to the bar. All around her, the party was in full swing. It was a mystery how much time had passed, but no one looked like they had any intentions of turning in soon. Even Alby was caught up in conversation next to the fire, happily munching on some of the snacks that Fry had set out for them. She took a deep breath, savoring the happiness that was coursing through her. They hadn't had such a good night in a long time.

Finally reaching the bar, she began to refill her jar from the large bucket on the table. It wasn't surprising to see that it was already over halfway gone. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure approaching and she swung around quickly, nearly spilling her drink in the process. The shadowy figure turned out to be Gally, and he reached out, presumably to help steady her. Unfortunately their coordination wasn't exactly up to par, and he promptly knocked the jar out of her hand, sending it flying across the other side of the table.

Lexie's eyes met his in surprise and she sputtered, dissolving into tipsy giggles as she took in the mortified look on his flushed face. Seeing her cheerfulness, he chuckled along with her, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. Gally looked a bit rough, presumably from the wrestling matches from earlier. Regrettably he had a shirt on this time, but it did look like he had donned a fresh outfit. The grey V-neck t-shirt and black cargo shorts fit him well. Looking sheepish he carefully set his own drink down on the table.

"Well, _that_ is not how I planned this would go."

Lexie raised an eyebrow and leaned toward him, a conspiratory grin on her face. Whether it was due to the foggy feeling in her head or her devil-may-care attitude lately, she was feeling remarkable confident. It was almost certainly the alcohol, though.

"And what exactly _were_ you planning, Captain?"

He tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear and her smug look was erased. His hand lingered a moment passed what would be considered friendly. That memory from the last month's bonfire when they had spent hours engrossed in conversation rushed back to the forefront of her mind. The warmth that had spread over her from the alcohol now seemed to pool in her stomach, and she tilted her head at him in question. Where Ben's touch had made her feel stifled, Gally's made her heart soar.

His eyes, their usual bright green darkened by the night time dimness, looked over her face. She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry, and she saw his gaze dart down to watch the action. Her head was spinning, and she thanked the liquor in her system for the borrowed confidence. A big part of her still felt like running back to her Newt-shaped safety net.

"Just to say 'hello.'"

Right, she had asked him a question. Lexie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Did it take you a long time to hatch that plan?" Her voice came out softer than she planned it to be. She felt more comfortable when she could make things into a joke, and she absently realized that it was probably a defense mechanism.

Gally finally pulled his hand and put them both in his pockets. They were standing close enough that he had to look down to make eye contact with her, and she once again found herself wanting to hug him. The fact that she held herself back spoke volumes, because she never hesitated to hug any of her close friends.

He scoffed at her, but not unhappily.

"Longer than you think! I didn't want to interrupt your dance competition over there. I hate to break it to you though, I think Newt won this one." He nodded over to where Newt was still standing, talking animatedly with a few other people.

Lexie smiled widely, glad for the break in tension. She was only a little embarrassed that her horrible boogying had been seen.

"To claim anything else would be a crime. His moves put mine to shame. I think he must practice alone when no one can see him." She winked and Gally gave her a sincere smile. Her heart beat faster, and she gathered her inebriated courage once again. "You wouldn't, want to dance with me, would you?"

His head fell back and he blew out a long breath.

"Ahh, I would love to Lex, but I don't think I could put you through that. I'm good with my hands, but not so much with my feet."

She looked at him incredulously.

"You _did_ see my sad excuse for dancing back there, didn't you?"

She swore she saw a blush creep in to his cheeks, although it could've just been the lighting. His eyes met hers, and she knew she should stop smiling so much but she just couldn't. The volume of his voice dropped to meet hers and she almost felt like they were sharing secrets.

"I did. You looked beautiful. I like seeing you so happy like this, you just… glow."

Now _she_ was blushing. Shaking her head, she laughed nervously. Suddenly her bare feet seemed to be the most interesting thing to look at.

"Aww, well thanks Gally. I think your eyesight must be going bad, but still, thanks."

His hand found her face again, this time putting pressure beneath her chin to guide her gaze upwards. Her heart fluttered with anxiety. His height towered over hers and she couldn't look away from him.

"Nah, I mean it. You're like the ray of sunshine in this dark shucking place. At least most of the time, lately you've seemed a little…"

He looked around as if he was searching for the right word, but she knew exactly what he meant. Her mind had pretty much been stuck on one subject lately, and it was standing right in front of her looking way too attractive for his own good.

"Preoccupied?"

He nodded, and she figured she should probably elaborate, but she was _not_ ready to have this conversation yet. Asking your romantic interest to dance was step one, admitting you were infatuated with said interest was like at least ten steps down the line. Or at least ten drinks down the line. It nonetheless made her unbelievably pleased to know that he had noticed a difference at all.

"Feel free to tell me to shuck off, but I need to ask you something." He suddenly seemed a bit flighty, like he might turn away from her. The relaxed posture from a minute ago was gone, in favor of crossed arms and a hard set to his shoulders. His eyes were hard, but not unkind. "Is there something going on between you and Ben?"

Well, that was unexpected. Lexie wrung her hands as she thought about her answer for a minute. She felt as though she had been caught with her hand in Frypan's cookie jar, but she didn't know why. There definitely _was_ something going on with Ben, but she wasn't really sure if it involved her or not. Regardless, she couldn't deny that they were on the brink of some sort of shift in their relationship. The thought made her frightened, because she didn't want to lose an old friend, or make things awkward between them if he wanted something more. If she was sure of anything, it was that her heart was wholly focused on only one tall, broad-shouldered builder.

Deciding that honesty was the best policy, she took a deep breath and explained.

"If you mean are we together, then no," She could see him visibly relax, and the reaction delighted her. "But there is something going on with _him._ He's been acting… I don't know. Different lately, at least around me. And he still hasn't told me what's going on with whatever they've found in the Maze." She stopped, frowning. It really did bother her being kept in the dark about something that could potentially be important. "Honestly I'm pretty worried about it… it's not like him to be so withdrawn. Do you know what's going on?"

Gally shook his head, looking far less tense than he had a moment ago. So he had been upset at the idea that she might be seeing Ben, huh?

"I don't know the details, but we're going to be having a gathering about it soon. We just don't want to cause a riot before we really know what's going on."

Lexie nodded, glad for the explanation.

"That makes sense. Would you keep me in the loop? It makes me all anxious when there's an unsolved mystery around here."

He chuckled before grabbing her hand, untangling it from where it was still wringing the other, and giving it a squeeze. It completely covered hers, and she could feel the rough callouses where they lightly scratched her skin. The sensation sparked through her and the now familiar tingling in her stomach began once again.

"Sure thing, Lex. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

It was impossible not to believe him in that moment.

Someone approached the table then, and they both turned to see a surprisingly sober looking Thomas approaching them. Expecting Gally to drop her hand, she was surprised when he only lowered their joined hands, and she felt his grip tighten. Glancing up at him, she could see apprehension in his eyes as he stared down the greenie.

Thomas raised a hand in a small wave when he reached them.

"Hey, uh, Lexie, right?"

She nodded, giving him a small smile.

"Hey, Greenie."

He smiled back at her sweetly, slipping his hands in the back pockets of his trousers. He really was quite handsome, even if he wasn't exactly her type.

"I just wanted to say sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be weird, I just-"

She shook her head, cutting him off.

"You don't need to explain, Thomas, it's alright. We all do weird things when we come out of that Box. And I'm not sure why you might remember me, but maybe we'll figure it someday?" She finished hopefully.

Thomas nodded firmly, looking content. Perhaps he had been worried that she would be made at him, or afraid of him, but Lexie really didn't see the point. They were all in this together. So what if he had a little more information than they did?

"That sounds like a good plan. I'm uh, gonna go back to the party. See you guys later."

He gave them another small wave and left them. Lexie turned back to Gally, seeing that he was following Thomas' departure with the same apprehensive look from before. Their hands were still firmly connected, and she ran her thumb over his skin, applying a little pressure. He looked down almost in surprise.

"You okay there, tiger?" She teased lightly. He sighed but didn't smile at her lame joke. His thumb began moving over hers, almost absentmindedly.

"I don't trust him. You might not be worried about the fact that he knows who you are, but I am. He could be dangerous."

Lexie's temperature rose at his tone of voice. She didn't agree with him, but it made her feel marvelously protected and special.

"But he _doesn't_ know me. He just knows my face. If anything it might be a good thing, maybe he'll remember more eventually and we could get some useful information from it."

She tried to reassure him. The last thing they needed was a Glade rivalry between Gally and the greenie. He didn't look convinced, but he nodded at her, and she let the matter drop. It was pretty hard to focus with his calloused digit caressing her own.

"LEEEEEEEXIIIIIIIE!"

Groaning, she turned toward the source; a very drunk, very wobbly Newt, as he made his way toward her. When he reached her he slipped an arm around her shoulders, not seeming to notice her current state of hand-holding.

"I would say I'm sorry for not bringing you a drink, but it rather looks like you don't need another."

He giggled loudly and laid his head on hers as if the effort to keep it up was too much. Her eyes met Gally's and they shared a smile. While it might not be a confession, there was definitely something promising in the way he looked at her, and it made her knees weak.

So did the drunken blonde hanging off of her.

"You forgot about me, Lady Glader, but s'alright. I'm sleepy now."

Lexie chuckled and reluctantly released Gally's hand, wrapping her arms around Newt.

"Goodnight, Gally. Talk to you tomorrow?"

He nodded, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Tomorrow." There was that promise again.

Leaving that thought for another, more sober time, she started leading Newt toward the Homestead.

"Let's get you to bed, dancing queen. You're all partied out."

Getting him into his hammock proved to be impossible, so she ushered him into her room and onto her bed. He promptly rolled toward the wall, pulling his knees up in the fetal position, and passed out. She shook her head but couldn't help but smile; she really loved this shuckface. Pulling off her flannel but leaving on her tank top and shorts, she climbed into bed behind him, threw an arm around his middle, and fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Everything was foggy around the edges. Lexie stood in the middle of the Glade, the fields stretched impossibly far around her, making her feel small. The air was deadly still yet everything seemed to be moving; shifting as though its place in reality wasn't quite determined yet. Arms wrapped themselves around her, her own arms, and she felt goosebumps beneath her hands. She realized slowly that they were hers, and she was truly freezing cold. Her own body felt tiny to her, too small to exist here, insignificant, yet she knew she did for the sole fact that everything hurt. She wasn't injured in any way, but to say it wasn't in part a physical pain would be diminishing it. It was painful in the way that was almost out-of-body; starting from the void within her chest and spreading outward. She should have brought a jacket to this place, it was so cold, but she didn't think she owned one, anyway.

The sky was pale and the grass was gray. Monochrome. She looked around, in slow motion, the world around her moving faster than she could keep up with. She felt dizzy. It had been more colorful here before, and more full. The sun had left her. No one was in the fields, and no one congregated in small groups around their work areas, completing the tasks of the day. The emptiness of the Glade echoed the empty pain within her. A panic creeped into the void. Where was Newt? He would be able to help her. She _needed_ help.

Moisture coated her cheeks, and she wondered if it had begun to rain again. The crops wouldn't make it through another downpour. The trellises were too fragile. Reaching thin, almost skeletal-like fingers up to her face, there was no surprise when she discovered tears there.

She wasn't surprised because she was devastated. Everyone was gone. She was alone. The void in her chest was a hole, a black hole and she held herself tighter to try and keep herself in but it wasn't working. She was falling apart from the inside out, like water slipping through the cracks of fingers, never quite able to stop the flow. Sinking down to her knees, she leaned down on her hands, letting the icicle blades of grass shoot between her fingers. Lowering her cheek to the ground, her tears fell into the Earth, and she became part of the Glade.

Feeling stirring beside her, Lexie opened her eyes at the same moment a disgusted groan reached her ears. The first thing she noticed was the dull pain at the back of her skull and the annoying way the blankets were twisted around her legs. The room was filled with the light of midmorning filtering in through her window. It was bright, _too_ bright, and she sighed in relief. Everything was still a little foggy around the edges, sure, but she was awake. The pain triggered by the bright light cemented her place in reality and was a welcome one.

Looking over to her impromptu bedmate, the last remnants of despair inside her nearly melted away, replaced by a sense of calm. Lazily rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, Newt let out a steady groan that lasted the duration of his breath. Lexie couldn't help but giggle out loud at the sight of him; his hair was in disarray, all his blonde locks seemed to be pointing in different directions as though trying to escape his head. He was a bit paler than usual and as he lowered his hands she could see the dark circles that had formed there.

Newt shifted and turned to lay on his side in order to better glare at her, although she could tell it was half-hearted.

"I'm glad you're feeling so bloody chipper this morning."

Lexie smirked fondly in response, rolling onto her side in order to mirror him so that they were laying face to face. Despite the lingering sense of unease from her nightmare, the sight of her best friend beside her grounded her. She _was_ feeling quite good.

"Well _I'm_ glad you decided to drink half that bucket to yourself last night."

Newt squeezed his eyes shut as though the memory was agonizing, letting out another pitiful groan.

"Don't remind me. I think my legs are actually _sore_ from all that dancing." When his eyes opened again he smiled softly at her, studying her face more closely. One hand reached up and he used his warm thumb to brush some wetness from the corner of her eye. The smile faltered slightly, the corners of his mouth turning down. "You're having nightmares again?" He sounded mildly surprised, and really, she was too. It had been quite a while since the last one, and he always heard about them.

Lexie looked at his damp thumb, having all but forgotten the gloomy nightmare from a few minutes ago. Her dreams had once been plagued every night with anxiety and distress, but that was several months ago, and as she found comfort in the Glade she had also found peace of mind. Or so she thought.

She sighed and clasped Newt's hand between both of hers, holding tightly, his presence a steady anchor.

"Not _nightmares_ plural… just one. And it wasn't that bad." She lied. It was terrible, but she didn't want him to worry himself over her silly insecurities.

Newt's eyes narrowed briefly but then he yawned uncontrollably, and she knew immediately that he wouldn't press the issue. She was grateful. There wasn't much to say about it, and it wasn't worth rehashing. Perhaps if she ignored the memories of emptiness the void in her chest would stay closed. She squeezed his fingers in silent thanks, knowing he would understand.

"You look awful."

He laughed loudly, surely not expecting anything less than snark from her at this early hour, and shoved her shoulder lightly with his free hand.

"Yeah well you look just fine, shank! Way to let me make a fool of myself alone."

Lexie put on a faux look of appall, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Hey, I distinctly remember dancing with you for a majority of the night! And the reason I remember is because I have self-control and stopped drinking when you started getting blurry around the edges."

Newt rolled his eyes incredulously, stretching in an attempt to wake up his tight muscles.

"Oh, is that how you're supposed to do it? I rather thought you were just enjoying your little flirt session with our largest and most muscly Keeper."

Blood immediately flowed to her cheeks, giving her away, and she knew she couldn't properly deny it even if she tried. One of the things Newt was very good at was reading people, and Lexie was nearly an open book on the best of days. Add that to the fact that he knew her better than anyone this side of the Box, and it was a lost cause. A sigh of dejection escaped her.

"I _am_ that obvious, aren't I?"

Rolling to a sitting position, he leaned back on his hands and looked down at the dark haired girl. He hummed in thought.

"Perhaps just to me, Lady Glader."

Lexie groaned and covered her face with her hands as Newt clambered over her and rose from her bed, albeit a bit shakily. Squinting at the light coming through the window, he grimaced.

"Today is gonna be shite. You should make it better by telling that poor sap how you feel about him already."

Peering through her fingers just long enough to shoot him a glare, he shook his head at her before exiting the room, making obnoxious kissing noises as he shut the door behind him.

' _What a slinthead!'_ She thought, but there was no venom in the mental name-calling. Although he was sure to give her a hard time about it occasionally, Lexie felt incredibly fortunate that she had someone to share all of her fears and desires with in this otherwise isolated place. With no knowledge of herself and no bearing of her identity as it was prior to 7 months ago, she was still confident in the fact that she was an introvert. Her first inclination was always to shy away, to sit to the side, alone, and most people were content to let her be. Newt on the other hand always sought her out, both in the physical sense and in her opinions, and it was a wonderful change of pace to feel needed. To imagine what her life would be like here without Newt in it was terrifying, a feeling akin to those she experienced in her nightmares, and she had no wish to do so.

With one last whimper of protest she flung the covers back and rolled out of her warm bed. Judging by the angle of the light and the intensity of the rays as they fell upon her face, it was surely closer to lunchtime than breakfast, and Alby was just as surely annoyed that not everyone was up and working yet. The day after a bonfire night was typically a little more lax, naturally, but no one ever shirked their duties here. Rule 1: Do your part.

As that mantra floated around her mind, she changed into a clean pair of denim shorts and a black t-shirt. Deciding to leave her hair loose, it waved down her back as she ran her fingers through to rid it of any tangles before finally giving up and leaving the Homestead for the day.

The energy of the Glade was fairly low that day, with everyone sporting tired eyes and at least half sporting nasty hangovers to match. A better tasting brew was probably more dangerous, she was starting to realize. How good it tasted was proportionate to how much they drank, as was evident by the poor shape everyone was in this morning. It _had_ tasted delightful. She'd forgotten last night to ask Gally what his new recipe was.

Remembering her conversation with him, she couldn't help but feel a small bit of hope, along with a large bit of excitement, bubble within her chest. It hadn't been her over-active imagination this time; he had actually approached her, _held her hand_ of his own accord. Sure, it wasn't exactly a confession, but it was something. As to what 'something' really meant to her, she still had no clue, but the thought of more incidents similar to the one they had last night made her feel undeniably giddy.

As she played the night back in her mind, it rewound like a movie and her smile faded as she quickly remembered her unsettling encounter with Ben. It wasn't as though he had done anything wrong… he hadn't said anything odd, or even particularly out of the ordinary. No… it had been something in his eyes. Ben had always seemed somewhat of an open book to Lexie, and in fact to most people, a trait she could identify with and usually served to make him easy friendships. It never seemed like much of a mystery what his feelings or motives were. But the Ben from last night had almost felt like a stranger to her. Something was turning, ticking right behind his eyes that she couldn't identify.

The realization turned her stomach, but she couldn't pinpoint why.

Trying to put that train of thought to rest, Lexie wandered idly toward the kitchen, intending to snag a piece of fruit to start her day. The day after Box day was not only known for its horrific hangovers; it also meant a plethora of snacks and treats that they didn't always have access to. Perishables like fruit and pastries that had to be eaten quickly to enjoy them, and everyone was more than up to the task.

The dining area was quiet. Not completely uninhabited, but those who lingered seemed to do so out of necessity. Lexie supposed she was one of the lucky ones, as she didn't feel particularly sick, just a bit tired and worn out. Grabbing an apple from a bowl that perched on a nearby table, she bit into it, savoring the tart sweetness, and steeled herself for a days' work.

The rest of the morning passed as she expected it to. After she arrived at the workshop, which was empty as the builders were now in full swing into their addition project, she settled herself at the bench and resumed working on her pieces from the day before. As he finished the first couple bowls and spoons, she really got the knack of it and started producing finished products quite quickly. There was a lot of finesse in this type of work. They didn't have to be perfect, but she wanted them to be. She wanted people to be happy to have them. To help make their day a little more enjoyable. Creature comforts were a high commodity around there, after all.

As the afternoon sun beat down outside, heating up the small room around her, she paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. Leaning back a bit to admire her work, she was pleased. Woodworking was never something she had even thought of attempting, but it turned out her endeavors were worth more than just getting her out of the fields for a couple days. She was _good_ at this.

The sharp whine of creaking floor boards to the right of her made her jump, and she looked towards the door, startled. Gally stood in the open doorway, nearly filling the emptiness of the door frame with _his_ frame. If he felt worse for wear from the previous night's festivities, he didn't show it. He looked a bit dusty, his pants sporting patches of wood shavings and dirt, and his chest beneath his sweat soaked t-shirt hinted at the work of the day. The last of Lexie's lingering distress and thoughts of Ben dissipated and quickly turned into a different form of agitation.

He cringed a bit at his own noisy entry, looking every bit the bull in the china shop, and raised a hand to knock on the open door.

"Knock knock, girlie."

One corner of her mouth turned up at his sheepish expression, and she noticed (rather belatedly) that he was carrying a plate in his other hand. She inclined her head toward it.

"Hey… What's that?"

He looked down, suddenly seeming bashful, and she couldn't help but find him uncharacteristically adorable in that moment.

 _Though if I actually voiced that aloud, he would probably murder me._

"I just, well I thought…"

Her grin widened as he stammered for the appropriate words. She tried to contain it, because the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was making fun of him, but he was too cute. She wondered if she was the only one who ever got to witness him in a state of fluster. Before this week, she wouldn't have thought him capable. He seemed to wrestle with his choice of words for a moment, eyes lingering on the floorboards. Giving in, he sighed and walked over to the stool closest to her, taking a seat and depositing the plate on an open space in front of her. It was full of bread, chopped apples (her favorite), and even a bit of cheese, which was a rare commodity in the Glade and often rationed strictly. Her brows furrowed as her brain slowly grasped what was happening.

"I thought you might want some lunch. It's a bit after meal time now and I hadn't seen you leave the workshop yet. I know we all got a late start today, so I was worried you just forgot." He spoke softly, almost _timidly,_ which was not an adjective she had ever used when describing anything to do with Gally. She wondered again if other people ever got to see this more vulnerable side of the masculine builder.

Lexie stared at the plate of food blankly, fairly certain that her grin was still plastered on her face. She was afraid to look up at him, because she didn't think she would be able to keep that ever present impulse to hug him at bay this time. He was _worried_ about her. He had brought her _lunch._ He had spent meal time noticing that she hadn't _eaten yet_. He had left his work, made a plate for her, and made a special trip here just to _deliver it to her_.

She thought her heart might burst; she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes and immediately felt silly for getting so emotional over a simple plate of food. But the fact that he cared enough about her well-being to make sure she was fed tugged on some heartstring she hadn't noticed she had until now. She felt overwhelmingly important and needed in that moment.

"Lex… you okay?"

He sounded more worried than timid now, and his tone warned her that she was on the verge of making a fool of herself. Blinking rapidly, she let out a breathy laugh, grabbing an apple slice off the plate and biting into it. The tart juice coated her tongue and she instantly felt a little calmer. Sighing happily, she turned her body toward him so she was facing him on the stool.

"I'm better than okay. This is wonderful. Thank you." She couldn't keep the smile off her face. This was quickly becoming a habit around him. "I was just surprised you thought about me is all."

He quirked an eyebrow with mild surprise, but his posture relaxed slightly as he watched her idly chew on her bit of fruit.

"You shouldn't be. I think about you all the time." He said it matter-of-factly, as though he was telling her what the weather might be like today.

She froze mid chew as her momentary calm vanished, swallowing the last bit of apple whole.

 _What was that supposed to mean? All the time? Think about me how?_

Her cheeks were surely beet red and her skin felt as though it was crawling with flame. She wasn't sure if the lump in her throat was from her rushed snack or the heart that was once again exploding in her chest. Why was it she always ran at one thousand degrees when she was around him? Her eyes were still wide, and she blinked a few times in rapid succession in an attempt to snap herself out of it. She debated what to do next. She could probably pretend like he never said anything and turn his attention toward her work. That would be the safest option. Least chance of her being humiliated, at least. His emerald eyes were zeroed in on her, clearly waiting for some sort of response. But what did he _mean_ by that? She felt frozen in place, tied to the tracks as the train came speeding towards her. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly didn't feel like jumping out of the way.

"What do you mean, Gally?" Her smile had faded, replaced by a look that was equal parts hope and worry.

He sighed deeply and broke eye contact with her, and her heart fell on its own accord. There it was, then. She had read this all wrong. It shouldn't have been so surprising, really. Maybe he was just teasing her all along? She didn't think she could bear it. Feeling as though the train had ran her over without a thought and continued on its merry way, she wrapped her arms around herself and contemplated running from the room.

He looked towards their feet, perched on the respective rungs of their stools.

"Come on Lex, don't make me say it."

Her brows furrowed, but no words came to her. The lump in her throat was a boulder now, threatening to suffocate her. She simply waited, hugging herself a little tighter. Bracing for impact.

Sighing again, Gally reached toward her, slowly detangling her arms from around herself and taking one of her hands in both of his. She let him. Despite herself, images from the night before flashed through her mind, and she felt his calloused fingers run over her skin just as they had before. Although her mind was telling her to run and avoid any further humiliation, her body was still on fire, and the pit of her stomach did flips with each swipe of his thumb across the back of her hand. Her own body was betraying her.

His eyes met hers again, and she could tell he saw her apprehension. A look of surprise washed over his features.

"Lexie, what do you feel when I do this?" He squeezed her hand for emphasis.

 _I feel like nailing the door shut and finding some new uses for this workbench._

She blushed harder at her own thoughts. Damn body had a mind of its own. His hands were so _warm_ over her own, she couldn't help but wonder what they would feel like coasting over other parts of her.

"I feel…" she searched for the words that were correct without being lewd. She didn't want him to think she wasn't taking this seriously. "… like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. Wonderful. And scared. Is it hot in here?"

He laughed at her openly then, and she frowned, instinctively trying to pull her hand away from him. He held fast onto her.

"No, please Lex, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh at you. You're just so damn adorable." He tried to stifle his open laughter, opting for chuckling instead.

Insecurity caused her to sweep the compliment under the rug, and she glared at him.

"It's not funny! Gally, I…" _here comes that train,_ "… I really like you. And when you touch me, hell when you even _look_ at me, my stomach ties in knots and I can't think straight. I feel like I'm on fire. I go to bed thinking about you and wake up thinking about you. Wondering if you'll talk to me that day. Hoping we can _really_ talk, the way we do when you look in my eyes and you light up like no one has ever really heard you before."

Lexie stopped, running out of breath just as the small bit of anger she was holding onto faded fast. It was quickly replaced with mild horror at her rushed confession.

 _What the hell am I doing?_

Gally's chuckles had abruptly subsided sometime during her speech, and his eyes now bore into hers with an intensity that she was no stranger to seeing, but it had never seen directed at her. She was reminded of the previous night, as she had watched him in his element fighting in the ring. Alert. Focused. She gulped.

 _Target acquired._

Gally tightened his grip on her hand, as if she were capable of escape, and pulled her forward slowly. His lips were parted, he looked hesitant and his eyes left hers to dart down to her full lips and back again as he eased her closer. Panic and unease rose in her again. What was happening? She hadn't had time to think this through. Their actions here had real, _very_ real consequences for her life. Unwittingly, images of Ben flashed in her mind, filled with anger and hurt. Her most recent nightmare floated to the forefront of her thoughts; feelings of abandonment and isolation broke free of their weak restraints within her, and before she knew what was happening she was resisting him, trying to pull back and put some much needed space between them.

A look of confusion broke the intensity on his face, but he dropped her hand, releasing his hold on her and leaning back to his original position. The spell was broken and Lexie took a deep breath. She watched as his face, just a moment ago completely open to her and vulnerable, closed entirely. He stood quickly, turning to leave.

"I'm sorry. Guess I read this wrong." He spoke without inflection. Not mean, not cold, but disconnected. "I… won't bother you anymore."

"Gally, no-" She caught his forearm just as he tried to flee, hopping down off the stool to stand in front of him. Her indecisiveness was not lost on her and she said a silent prayer that he wouldn't lose patience with her entirely, shake her off and walk out the door without a backward glance. But he stopped as soon as her skin made contact with his, and she was surprised at the slight tremble she felt in the lean muscle there.

He stared down at her, his features schooled to be intentionally bland, but she could sense the tension in him as he waited for her to continue.

Lexie opened her mouth to speak, but quickly realized she had no idea what she was supposed to say. She was never good at delicate situations, didn't know how to tip toe around sensitive subjects. This was the first time in her memory that she didn't know the right answer, didn't know what the right course of action was. So how exactly was she expected to convey to him her deepest, darkest fears?

He continued to look into her eyes. Waiting patiently. Giving her time to work through it. His sincerity shone through even as he attempted to put his guard up. And then it struck her that this was _Gally_. One of her most trusted friends here in the Glade, and therefor in her entire conscious life. She _wasn't_ alone; he would help her with this. If klunk hit the fan, he would be there to clean it up with her. And Newt – her other half would never abandon her, of that she was sure. The thought of upsetting any of the other people in her life – images of Ben flashed behind her eyes yet again – still made her stomach churn. But shuck it, she had been writhing with anxiety for nearly a week now, and something had to give.

As soon as the decision was made in her mind, fate effectively sealed, she was instantly hyper aware of him. His body was so close to hers, mere inches separating them, and he towered over her without trying. His presence made her feel small, delightfully delicate and feminine, as though he could wrap himself around her and act as a shield against the rest of the world. And she could smell him now. _Oh_ , his smell was intoxicating. All warmth and earth and musk. She was trembling now, too, and she didn't mind if he noticed. Tension was coiling within her, at a spot below her naval that felt deliciously sinful and scary all at once. Her hand, with small fingers still wrapped around his forearm, tugged him down toward her, her other finding the front of his shirt above his abdomen, bunching it up and holding on for dear life. Realization and relief dawned in Gally's eyes and any guard he was constructing crumbled away as he acquiesced, leaning down to meet her halfway.

His lips brushed hers uncertainly at first, and her initial reaction was one of surprise. Everything about Gally was rough, abrupt, and unyielding; she expected kissing him to be much the same. As her eyes fluttered closed, she realized he was still waiting for her. Unsure even now of what her decision may be. Perhaps even afraid of scaring her away, not that she should be surprised at this point. That thought brought about an irritation at her own behavior. She had never been any good at talking, and now she was instilling doubt in him as well – better to just show him how she felt.

Her hand abandoned his forearm to slide up his bicep, coming to grip the back of his neck as she pressed her soft lips firmly into his. They shared a mutual sigh as something finally snapped between them, overwhelmed as their anticipation finally reached a head. He tasted exactly as she had imagined he would so many times before; spice, pine, and some unidentifiable thing that she had given up trying to place. Uncertainty gone, he responded immediately, gripping her hip firmly with one hand, the other sliding behind her neck to mirror her hold on him. He closed whatever distance remained between them, pulling her body flush against his as he leaned over her and poured every bit of tension between them into the kiss.

Her skin was tingling with hot lightning although her body had broken out in goosebumps. Every hair standing on end and every nerve ending was alight. Every minute movement of his lips traveled straight through to her core. The fingers gripping her neck sent shivers down her spine. The hand wrapped around her hip kept her firmly in place against him, and the fact that he could completely overpower her both excited and terrified her. The trust she had in him quelled any primitive fears she held, and she kissed him back with everything that had been building in her.

He used his grip on her to tilt her head, deepening the kiss, bringing their mouths together over and over again until she thought that maybe breathing was overrated. Surely she could die happy now. Feeling a bit more brave than usual, she allowed the hand that hand been bunched up in his shirt to travel a bit lower, finding the hem and slipping her hand under it to feel the taught skin there. She felt him shiver in response and pull her even tighter against him. As though sensing her growing need to come up for air, he left her lips only to trail his own along her jawline.

Eyes widening, Lexie gripped his neck tighter as she let herself take in the new sensation. She felt keenly aware of every small bit of skin he touched as he skimmed feather light kisses along her sharp features, eventually reaching a sensitive spot just under her ear. He paid extra attention there, licking and sucking until her knees felt weak and she was gripping his waist for support. When she felt his blunt teeth take hold of her, pressing firmly in a heated love bite, it was as though a fuse was lit inside her. She could feel the effect his ministrations were having, the slickness between her legs. She moaned loudly into his ear.

She stiffened, surprised at her completely uninhibited outburst. Feeling the sudden change in her body posture, he finally broke his kiss and leaned back enough to look at her. They both breathed heavily as they looked at each other as if for the first time, tension not broken but paused for a moment. He slid a hand to her face, holding her so gently that she could almost forget he had just moments ago bit her hard enough to leave a mark, and that she had loved every second of it.

He heaved one last sigh and his breathing began to slow to a normal rate. His features were unreadable but his eyes were bright, searching hers for any sign of distress. Looking at him, out of breath, hair disheveled because of _her_ effect on him _,_ was possibly the sexiest thing she had ever seen in her short memorable life. He ran his calloused thumb across her cheek.

"You okay in there?"

She smiled. A chuckle bubbled out of her on its own accord and she hung her head, pressing her forehead against his chest. She let one hand join the other underneath the hem of his shirt, lightly skimming her fingers along the heated skin there. Something in her was completely satisfied that she was finally able to touch what she had only been able to admire for so long. She didn't think she would tire of it any time soon.

"Next time, warn a girl before you turn her into a puddle."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next several days passed in a brilliant blur for Lexie as she fell into her new routine. Every morning without fail she would wake up with Gally on her mind as remnants of her dreams thinned away. Her old nightmares (as well as the majority of her waking thoughts) had been entirely replaced with various scenes of him. The settings were somewhat different each time, but the themes were the same; his hands on her, his form surrounding her, and she always awoke both elated and completely frustrated.

Breakfasts for her were usually hurried as a result of her penchant for sleeping in, and although she occasionally saw him in passing, more often than not he was already out working for the day. The addition to the Homestead was nearly completed, and she knew he must be anxious to finish. She was nearly done with her project as well, having spent much of her time in the workshop literally whittling away. The payoff was tangible though, as she now had a collection of finished bowls and cutlery large enough for the whole Glade to make use of them.

His absence in the mornings didn't bother her much, as he had fallen into the habit of bringing her lunch every single day since their… breakthrough. Much to her chagrin, they had not had a repeat of their heated episode from a few days ago, instead using their brief times together to chat as they ate their meals. While she adored their conversations and the fact that he was finally opening up to her, she couldn't help but be constantly distracted by everything he did. His jaw flexing as he took a bite of food, the creases at the corners of his eyes when he smiled at her, the way his shirt always clung to his broad shoulders; all of it transported her mind back to the feeling of his mouth on hers and his body pressed flush against her. The most bodily contact they had shared since then was his daily parting kiss on the cheek before he went back to finish his work for the day. Although it always left a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks, she couldn't help but wonder why their relationship seemed to have stunted just as quickly as it began to grow.

That was where she found herself now, staring off into space, physically unfulfilled and in an emotional state of limbo. Gally was perched on a stool next to her small work space, the remnants of their afternoon meal forgotten in front of them. He gestured with his hands as he talked about the addition.

"… we should definitely be finished this afternoon, thankfully. I've been talking to Winston about getting started on a couple small barns for the pigs. He said we should be getting piglets any day now."

She did her best to pay attention, even as her thoughts kept tearing it away from him. It was really rather sweet how excited he got about the Builder's projects. She knew he strived to be useful to the others just as she did, although she wondered why he didn't realize how essential he was to them all. He had stopped talking, and was now looking over at her.

"You still with me, girlie?" He asked softly.

She realized she had probably been zoned out longer than was polite, but she was sure he hadn't really noticed. Until now.

 _Smooth, Lex._

She scratched the back of her head, looking at him sheepishly.

"Sorry, Gally. I guess I was a bit lost there. What about pigs?"

He gave her a soft smile and sighed, turning to face her fully and taking both of her hands in his.

"Forget about the pigs. What's going on in that head of yours?"

She frowned as she looked at their joined hands, wondering if she should be honest with him or not. It was silly, really – it's not as though she expected him to be all over her just because they shared a single kiss. She wasn't even sure if she would be comfortable with that anyway. But it did irk her a bit that he hadn't even mentioned it, and that none of his small displays of affections had been in front of any of the other Gladers. It made her feel insecure, like she needed validation. Like perhaps she had imagined the entire thing. She was already struggling to accept the fact that he felt anything for her at all, past friendship. Maybe he was just having second thoughts?

"Hey."

His voice was soft as he brought her out of her reverie, and she was taken aback again by how gentle he's been with her lately. His hand found her cheek, urging her to look at him.

"It's just us here, Lex. You can tell me."

She blinked at him. He was right. She knew she could trust him, ask him anything, and he wouldn't think less of her for it. Wouldn't abandon her. So why was she so afraid of his answers?

"It's just… well… ugh!" She let out a frustrated groan as her worlds failed her yet again and ran her hands back through her long dark locks. "This is dumb. I'm being dumb."

Gally arched an eyebrow, confused and perhaps slightly amused, but didn't press. Lexie looked at him for mercy, but he merely waited for her to continue. Letting out another irritated noise, she steeled herself to continue.

"Ever since… the other day…" _Why am I afraid to even say it?_ "I've been anxious. Like… waiting. For something bad to happen."

His mild amusement vanished, leaving worry there instead.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, trying to find the right words without sounding like a complete slinthead.

"I'm just worried that… that it's all in my head? I don't know." Her voice sounded quiet and small, even to her, and it made her even more uncomfortable. Suddently, she couldn't meet his eyes. "It's just that, ever since – and you've been completely sweet to me so don't think it's you, cause it's almost certainly me–"

"Lex." He interrupted gently. Right. Rambling again.

"Sorry." She hesitated, taking in a lungful of air. "I'm afraid maybe you don't _really_ like me like that so you're just trying to get back to normal or something, and I love spending more time with you but I'm always wondering if maybe you're just doing it to let me down easy, and I would understand but I just worry that maybe you don't want the others to know what happened and I don't want to lose you as a friend so…"

She trailed off as she saw the grin slowly spreading across his face. He leaned forward slowly, promptly entering her personal space. His mouth approached hers and for a second she began to lean in to meet him, but he veered to the side, pressing a firm kiss to her cheek. Leaning back slightly, he slowly leaned to her other side, repeating his actions with the other cheek. Her brows furrowed, not sure of his intentions. She remained still, trying to ignore the fire that was already starting to burn within her. She tried her best to shut up and be patient; she wanted to know where this was going.

Sitting up straighter, he let another kiss linger on her forehead before leaning back to look at her.

His voice was still soft, but there was a gravelly tone to it that it hadn't had a moment ago. It fanned the small fire into a full on blaze. "I'm sorry, Lexie. I didn't mean to make you worry."

Before she had a chance to reply, he was right there again, his lips fully pressing into hers. Taken by surprise, she didn't respond at first. When his hands snaked around her waist, trying to pull her closer to him, she snapped out of it. Immediately she kissed him back with vigor, trying to pour her relief into their connection.

His mouth continued to move against hers, and she felt as though she were flying. Woes from a minute ago completely forgotten, she allowed him to pull her off the stool to stand in front of him, settling snugly between his thighs. Even with him sitting down, his height made her have to arch her neck slightly to reach his mouth. She did so eagerly.

He clutched her to him tightly, and she felt the evidence of his arousal between them. She blushed, but if she was being honest, the thought excited her more than it frightened. Still, she didn't think she was ready to fall down that rabbit hole just yet. She sighed contentedly into his mouth; she had never been so happy to be wrong in all her memorable shuck life.

Her own arms wrapped around his neck, and she tilted her head, trying to deepen their kiss. He gave in to her immediately, letting his tongue dart out to touch her lips each time they met. Her chest was flush against his, and still he curled his arms up towards her shoulders, eliminating any sliver of space left between them. She moaned softly into his mouth in response. It was impossible to be close enough to him. Somewhere in the back of her mind she marveled that he somehow knew exactly how to calm her fears. This was exactly what she needed from him. Reassurance.

Her fingernails found their way into his short, dirty blond locks, and she instinctively dragged them down the nape of his neck. His frame shuddered around her, and he broke away with an involuntary moan. The sound that escaped him was deep, husky, and purely lustful.

Lexie erupted in goosebumps at the sound, feeling the rush of wetness beneath her jean shorts. Her hands tightened around him on their own accord, and she pressed into him, seeking a friction she didn't realize she needed. He raised an eyebrow at her, taking note of the reaction. She had never heard such an erotic noise, and she immediately wanted to hear it again. She vowed to find as many ways as possible to achieve her selfish goal.

Gally had other ideas, using the break in their kissing to revisit the spot on her neck he had marked before. The small bruise was all but faded now, but Lexie had adored it while it lasted. She had been forced to wear her hair down to avoid any nosy shucks from commenting on it, but secretly, it made her flush every time she had thought of it hiding just out of sight below her ear.

He attacked it without any reservations this time, licking and sucking the sensitive flesh as she panted and whimpered. He moved up and down her neck, alternating between small love bites and soothing kisses. She grasped his neck, his shoulders; anything she could reach. She was thankful for her place wedged in between his legs and his tight hold on her, because she wasn't confident she would be able stand on her own at this point. Her hands traveled down his back to slip underneath his shirt, feeling the taught muscles of his back flex as he continued his onslaught. Her thin fingers arched, nails digging into his tight flesh, and he once again let out a breathy moan, this time directly into her ear.

Her eyes nearly rolled back under their lids. This was all so new. She was drowning in the feel of him around her. Every smell was his, everything she felt was brought about by his talented fingers and deft mouth. It was almost too much, she had no control over her reactions anymore. And she definitely had a newfound weakness for all these sexy noises he was making.

Her eyes fluttered open slightly, and she realized that her face was buried in his shoulder. Seeing the opportunity, she tentatively reached out toward the curve of his neck and took a mouthful of flesh between her teeth. She bit down gently, trying to mimic his ministrations on her, using her tongue to sooth the flesh as she took another experimental nip. His reaction this time was something akin to a growl, and it sent lightning bolts straight through her.

"Do you enjoy torturing me, girlie?" He spoke the gravelly words directly into her ear, his breathing heavy, eliciting a whine from her. She didn't even hope to be able to manage a response other than that.

With one last kiss at her neck, he leaned back to look at her, presumably to give her a break before she completely imploded. Her eyes drifted open slowly, meeting his bright green gaze with her own. Oxygen was returning to her slowly. She felt like she had consumed three too many jars of Gally's special drink; completely intoxicated and struggling to come back down to some semblance of normal. She held onto his shoulders tightly – on top of his shirt this time – as she attempted to sober up. He looked at her with an expression she could only describe as self-satisfied.

"Well? Do you forgive me?"

She blinked at him, taking longer than was usually necessary to process what he was saying.

"I… uh… I don't know. What?"

He chuckled, his voice still gruffer than normal. She thought she liked this voice even better than his normal one. His smile was so genuine that she nearly forgot what she had been upset about in the first place.

"I said I'm sorry, Lex. I mean it." His smile softened, and she didn't know how, but she could just tell he was being sincere. "I didn't mean to make you doubt me, or doubt yourself. I honestly just didn't know if you wanted this to be… I don't know… a thing? Like, I know you have feelings for me, but I also know you were pretty unsure about everything not even a week ago. I didn't want to push." He absentmindedly stroked the stretch of skin above her shorts as he spoke. His words sounded simple and matter-of-fact.

She felt like a complete slinthead. It was just that she had no idea how this was supposed to shucking work! She couldn't remember what it felt like to have these types of feelings, or if she had ever even had them in her past life. Though some innate part of her thought that the boy was supposed to be… physical. So she had started to worry when it didn't seem as though Gally was particularly occupied with that part of things. Turns out he was just being a thoughtful, adorable shucking fool, is all.

"Truth be told-" He broke eye contact with her, scratching the back of his head self-consciously. "I pretty much felt the same way. I was worried it was all gonna be too much for you. I know you were afraid of upsetting some of those other shucks, or upsetting the Glade, or whatever." He shrugged. "Guess we're both silly klunks, huh?"

Lexie's heart swelled as she absorbed what he had said. She leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips, creating a completely different sort of feeling in her chest than had been there a few minutes ago. She looked up at him with innocent eyes.

"So you don't think I'm annoying and silly?"

He scoffed, pulling a skeptical look.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here."

She punched his arm halfheartedly and they laughed together. She felt miles above what she had this morning. It was completely stupid of her to be worried in the first place – she should have just asked to begin with and saved herself all the trouble. He sighed, but it was a happy sound.

"Lex, I shucking adore you. Next time, just ask." _Does he just hear all my thoughts now?_ "But if you want to do _this_ -" He squeezed her hips for emphasis, "-in front of those other slintheads, you're out of your mind."

A blush crept onto her cheeks involuntarily. She feigned a thoughtful look.

"I suppose you're right. But I wouldn't mind this." She placed a soft, sweet kiss on his cheek. "At least once in awhile."

He smiled at her, and she didn't think she had ever seen him look so content. Maybe Newt was right. He did deserve some happiness in this miserable shuck place, and maybe she did too.

"Good that, girlie."

He glanced toward the door suddenly, as if just now remembering that the rest of the Glade still existed. To be fair, it had been the last thing on her mind as well.

"Aww shuck, I'm sure I should be back to work by now. Lucky some nosy klunk hasn't come looking for me yet."

The thought of being caught spurred a rush of embarrassment and excitement in her.

"Honestly, I don't think I would have noticed if they did unless they came up and poked me in the eye."

He chuckled at her, reluctantly standing up from the chair and enveloping her in a hug. She sank into him, his lips leaving a kiss in her hair. She felt purely blissful. This was all still so surreal.

"See you at dinner?"

She smiled up at him genuinely.

"Wouldn't miss it, Captain."

Unlike Gally, Lexie didn't have much work to return to at all, having finished her project completely now. Instead, she joyfully packed up all her newly crafted pieces in a large crate, intending to surprise Fry with her accomplishment. Even though he was already aware she was working on it, she was still giddy with excitement at giving him a gift of sorts. Something that would bring simple comfort to him and her fellow Gladers. Because, shuck it all, she really did adore those shanks.

Lugging the crate up, she made her way out of the workshop and headed towards the kitchen. She glanced around the Glade as she went, feeling altogether different than she did this morning. It was silly, really, because no one else _(probably)_ knew about her lunch break activities, but she still felt as though they would somehow be able to tell. It was surely common knowledge that she and Gally had been eating lunch together, but that could logically be summed up to the fact that she was acting as a temporary builder as of late. She wondered if anyone would be able to notice the difference in her. She certainly _felt_ different. She felt shucking _wonderful._ Like an enormous weight had been lifted and things were starting to make sense in her own little world again. However, as she progressed across the grassy field, everyone went about their business the same way they always did. Maybe they wouldn't see through her just yet, after all.

"Need a hand?"

Lexie started, nearly losing her grip on the heavy box.

"Shucking hell, Newt! You scared the klunk out of me!"

He laughed at her, taking the heavy crate from her hands without waiting for her reply and continuing her walk with her, shoulder to shoulder.

"Not my fault! You were definitely up in the clouds somewhere. But I'm willing to wager that has something to do with the fact that you just emerged from a _building_ that was not so long ago occupied by a hunky _builder._ "

She blushed, hating the fact that he was right, but not hating the fact that he knew her so well. If anyone was going to see through her, it was Newt. It was a wonder he hadn't guessed it in the past few days. Although, he probably knew all along, and was just saving her the embarrassment of calling her out about it.

"That might, maybe, possibly, have a very small amount of impact on my lack of awareness of sneaky slintheads, yes."

Newt feigned an injured look.

"Ow! I'm not sure if I quite like this new Lexie. Old Lexie would have never called me names."

"Ha! In your dreams, Newty. Sassy Lexie is here to stay."

"We're all shucked then, aren't we?" He snickered at her, and she flashed her teeth at him in return. Being around Newt never failed to make her feel contented.

"So, am I safe to assume that you two have finally sorted things? The amount of googly eyes across the dinner table has increased at least ten-fold these past few days."

Lexie's eyes went wide. Although she did want the others to know, the thought that they might have known all along and been joking about it behind her back was definitely mortifying.

"Please tell me that you're the only one who noticed because you're super observant and can tell when I'm acting like a fool?" She pleaded hopefully.

He twisted his mouth to the side, considering. Drawing it out a bit just to torture her, no doubt.

"I reckon Alby probably noticed, he's pretty much been waiting on it to happen. Other than that, I think you're safe, shank." His face sobered suddenly. "Well. I reckon Ben probably noticed, too."

Her heart dropped directly into her gut. One of the things she was most afraid of was angering Ben, one of her best friends in this sorry place. Intimacy, feeling truly close to someone, was a rarity in their world. It was hard when no one had any memories past waking up in this strange new reality. Lexie was lucky enough to have several people she considered true friends, and amongst her greatest fears was alienating any of them.

"Is he angry with me? Did he mention anything?" She wrung her hands, a subconscious nervous habit of hers.

Newt still looked serious, but he shrugged his shoulders noncommittally.

"Hasn't said anything. Just feels like he's noticed. It would make sense that he would've. He watches you a lot." He said it factually, and it was plain that he wasn't happy with the thought.

She frowned. _He watches me a lot? What does that mean exactly?_

"Thomas is getting on well."

The change of subject was obvious, but Lexie let it happen. That line of conversation was scary and confusing for her, and she was only just now starting to feel peaceful again. She wasn't quite ready to give it up, and she tried to take a lesson from her earlier unnecessary worrying. So she took the bait.

"Oh yeah? How are his trials going, showing any promise?"

He looked thoughtful a moment, gazing up at the clear sky.

"Too soon to tell, I suppose. He's not had a chance with Fry, Gally, or Winston yet."

"How'd he do with you, then?"

Newt let a smile slip over his features. He looked at her, but for once, she couldn't quite read his expression.

"Well."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't. She let herself consider their new greenie for a moment. He was obviously already quite fit. Toned with lean muscle. He could probably manage any of the jobs here on a physical level. His personality was still a mystery, and she hadn't really had a chance to try and get to know him better seeing as the mutual consensus was that she stay away from him for the time being. Until his bit of memory was sorted. It was all a bit of an overreaction, she felt. He seemed like a nice enough guy.

"I like him. He seems nice." She leaned toward him conspiratorially. "And he's not bad to look at, either."

Surprisingly, a blush creeped over Newt's features. Lexie gasped loudly. She knew that look, she had felt it often enough on her own face.

"You-" He shushed her quickly, giving her a death glare that could easily burn a hole straight through her small, tactless form. She threw her hands over her mouth and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You _like_ him!"

He continued to glare at her, scoffing.

"You're just the bloody expert on these things now, are you?"

She squealed with glee, trying her best to keep the noise at an acceptable level for a normal, _not_ secret conversation.

"Oh Newt, I promise I won't tell a shucking soul in this place, but you _have_ to tell me more later."

His narrowed eyes had at this point become a permanent fixture on his face.

" _Pleeeeeaaaase?_ You know all about my poor excuse for a love life."

He sighed dramatically, finally lightening his features to a stern scowl.

"Fine. But only if you can contain your girly squeals."

She beamed at him. Hugging him around the shoulders.

"No guarantees!"

He dropped the angry act, finally chuckling at her exuberance.

"You're such a silly shuck."

She shrugged happily, not able to argue the point. The thought of her best friend finding the same happiness that she was finally starting to grasp elated her. She was already planning out an opportune time to grill him for information. He would be powerless against her interrogation tactics.

They finally arrived at the kitchen to interrupt Frypan bustling about preparing that evening's dinner. Newt plonked the crate on a nearby table, drawing his attention with the noise.

"Special delivery from the resident Glade Woodworker!"

Lexie giggled, but she was honestly pleased with her work. She had put a lot of effort into making them decent, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit anxious to see what Fry thought of them.

Fry raised his head from chopping vegetables and came around the counter to peer into the crate. He picked up a bowl, turning it over in his large hands.

"Shuck it, Lex. These are perfect!"

She let out her breath and grinned from ear to ear.

"Thanks, Fry! Hope the guys like them."

The tall cook threw an arm around her shoulder in a half hug. She returned it by wrapping her arms around his middle.

"They'll love them. Thanks, girl."

"Anytime!"

Fry moved the crate toward their storage area and began to unpack it, adding it to their other small stash of utensils.

"Just in time, too. I'm serving up an early dinner tonight on account of the gathering."

Lexie cocked her head to the side. Gathering? The only thing she could think of that might merit a gathering was all this secrecy regarding the maze lately. Maybe the keepers and runners were finally ready to let everyone else in on some new information?

"Gathering? About what?"

Frypan shrugged, his back still to her.

"Shuck if I know, girl. I just live here."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading along! I'm on break from college at the moment, so I've had a lot more time to write than usual. I had all but abandoned this story, but I'm really enjoying myself now that I've picked it back up again. Let me know if you like how things are progressing, or if you have any constructive criticism or ideas! Enjoy! =)**

Chapter 9

Lexie stood near the back of the group in the gathering room, observing the energy of the people around her. Most were chattering amongst themselves in hushed voices, some with excitement, but most seemed just as confused and anxious as she did. The sounds of their speculations all melded together into one loud white noise. Dinner earlier had been a rushed affair for everyone, and she curiously hadn't seen Gally at all. The air was buzzing with a nervous energy over what was to come.

Surely this whole thing would be about the Maze? After all, Minho and Ben hadn't exactly kept it a secret that something was going on with them. However, Ben hadn't said a word to her about anything, which was out of character for him. Even though the runners were sworn to a kind of secrecy, Lexie had always considered herself a confidant of his, and he always seemed to trust her with whatever problems were plaguing his mind. Come to think of it, he hadn't really spoken to her much at all since the night of the bonfire. Her attentions had been so completely focused on Gally since then, she truly hadn't noticed until now. A pang of guilt rang through her. She hadn't even noticed that Newt, her other half, was developing feelings for someone. She would have to make an effort to remedy her shortcomings as a friend these past few days.

Lexie flushed as the thought crossed her mind that her and Gally might be a topic at this gathering. Her eyes quickly scanned the room for Alby, and he stood where she expected him to, at the head of the pack. He was turned to the side, chatting quietly with Newt as they waited for the last of the stragglers to arrive. He caught her staring and looked her way, nodding reassuringly. _Phew_. She was worrying too much again. There's no way he would announce her business to the world without talking to her about it first.

Stood by herself near the back wall, she felt uncharacteristically out of place. Generally, there would be a friendly arm thrown around her shoulders or she would be sharing a laugh with a couple of the boys. Her usual companions of Newt, Gally, Minho, or Ben weren't options seeing as three of them were keepers and all of them were standing up front with Alby, presumably because they were to be a part of whatever discussion was about to happen. Feeling insecure, she looked around her immediate vicinity, searching for a friendly face. Seeing Clint, Jeff and the recently graduated greenie David sitting in a small group a short distance in front of her, she moved forward to sit on the bench between Clint and Jeff, and they smiled at her warmly.

Her and Clint had always gotten on quite well. He enjoyed taking care of people, and she admired that about him. A good deal of the cuts and scrapes acquired by the Gladers were tended to only because of his insistence, and a fair chunk of them had belonged to Lexie. Many of the guys teased him as he took his role of 'Glade nurse' quite seriously, but they would honestly be lost without him.

Smiling kindly back at them, she felt instantly more comfortable. Her place was here with these shanks, not hiding back against a wall as though she had done something wrong.

Alby took a step forward toward the group, and there was immediately a chorus of shushes as everyone fell silent. He scanned the room, seemingly making eye contact with everyone. There was a serious expression on his face, but then again, Alby usually looked rather solemn.

"Many of you have probably guessed this already, but this gathering is about the Maze."

Murmurs sparked around the room again, none of them sounding particularly surprised. Alby held a hand out, calling for silence again.

"Minho, Ben, and the other runners have something they think they need to share with you all, especially in light of our most recent greenie, Thomas."

Thomas was sat off to the side, not far from the keepers, looking rather alone. Lexie felt for him; he really did seem like a decent guy, and she had heard only good things about him from her fellow Gladers. The air of mystery surrounding his unique memory of her kept people at a distance, though, and it was really a shame. No one should have to feel alone in this place. His head snapped up to Alby in surprise. Apparently this was all new information for him, as well.

Lexie watched on with attentive curiosity as Alby looked back toward Minho and Ben, motioning them to step forward as he stepped back in line with other keepers. Her eyes caught Gally's of their own accord, finding that he was already looking at her. His expression was firm, echoing the importance of Alby's words, but his eyes for her were soft. Warmth spread from her belly outward with the knowledge that he had been watching her.

It felt a bit strange, looking at him through new eyes when almost no one else around her was aware of it. It was exciting to her, like an exhilarating secret. Taking stock of the fact that everyone was focused on the impending speech in front of them, she threw Gally a sneaky wink. His eyebrows shot up and he ducked his head, but not before she saw the grin he was now trying desperately to hide. She had to do the same to keep herself from laughing out loud.

Trying to bring herself back to the moment at hand, she looked back up, meeting eyes with Ben this time. He was already staring at her as well, but the feeling she got from it was very much different than the one she received from Gally.

 _Oh shuck. Did he see my pathetic attempt at flirting?_

The thought scared her more than she wanted to admit, immediately tightening her gut with anxiety. For whatever the reason, she wasn't ready for him to know about her and Gally. She loved Ben, but she got the impression he wasn't going to be as understanding about it all as Newt and Alby had been.

She tried giving him an experimental smile, and threw in a small wave for good measure. She really did miss him, and she was more than a little worried about his involvement with the Maze as well as his recent distance from her. Even if the distance was as much her fault as his.

He answered with a small smile of his own, which should have made her feel better, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. She imagined he must be worried about whatever was about to happen.

Minho was the first of them to speak.

"Most of you shanks know that we've been talking about some new stuff in the Maze recently. We wanted to take the time to figure it out before we announced it to everyone."

"So you've figured it out then? Are we gonna get out of here?" One of the slicers, Nelson, piped up. His question started the excited chatter back up again. It was no surprise that it would be a question at the forefront of everyone's minds.

"That's just it." Minho raised his voice to speak above the din. "We've got no shucking clue what it is."

Silence fell over the group again. Ben took a long inhale of breath.

"One of the walls, in a far corner of the Maze, is completely covered with some weird kind of symbols. We've never seen anything like it before."

Newt took a half step forward from his spot leaning against a support beam. He was a runner once, a long time ago, so it would make sense that he would be skeptical.

"A whole wall? How is it possible that we've missed something that huge?" He sounded honestly curious rather than incredulous, which was what Lexie was feeling. They've been running and mapping that Maze for 3 years. How _was_ it possible?

Minho sighed, as if disappointed in himself for not finding it sooner.

"He means it when he says it's in a far corner. It's in a section that's always been a dead end. Always. The walls move around it like normal, but it's always been the same. After the first few times we went there, we stopped mapping it. No one's been down that way in at least a year, maybe more."

The group watched on quietly. Lexie was wringing her hands again. Newt's brows furrowed, processing the information. Her blond best friend seemed to be processing the new information intently.

"But we've been there before, yeah? In the beginning. And we've certainly never found any weird symbols."

Minho held eye contact with him. Waiting for him to catch up. Newt blew out his breath in a loud huff, running a slender hand through his hair.

"… Which means it's new." Gally finished his thought for him.

 _New._

The idea should have been thrilling. A new discovery in the Maze could mean a huge breakthrough for them. Although she loved her life here in the Glade, she knew their end goal was and would always be to find a way out of their makeshift prison. So why did she feel so terrified?

Gally's arms were crossed, his face looking as troubled as she was sure hers did.

"So what do we do now, then?"

Minho nodded, like he had been waiting to get to this part.

"Well, since Ben first found them a few weeks ago, we've been drawing them. Trying to look for a pattern, something familiar, anything really. No luck. But you see," His gaze found Thomas, who had been sitting at rapt attention the whole time. "the only other strange thing that's happened here in forever, has been this shank coming up with some piece of memory still in that brain of his."

Thomas sputtered, immediately looking defensive and cornered.

"I swear, Minho, I have no idea why. I don't even really know what the Maze is. I don't remember any symbols."

Ben held up his hands, like he was trying to calm a spooked animal.

"We know kid, we know. But we're running out of ideas here."

Lexie found it strange that Alby had not intervened in the discussion at all, instead standing quietly behind his fellow Keepers and Ben as they conversed. She noted that he didn't look particularly surprised by any of this, and supposed that Minho and Ben had already filled him in on their plan, whatever it was.

"That doesn't really answer my question." Gally echoed her thoughts. He was beginning to look a little impatient, and she had a spontaneous urge to go wrap her arms around his tense form. Something told her that he might not appreciate the sentiment so much at the moment.

"It's simple." Minho spoke to the group at large. "We take the greenie into the Maze. See if he remembers."

Mutters of protest, some louder than others, rose around her. It was a _strict_ rule, one of the few they had, that absolutely no one who wasn't a runner could ever enter the Maze. To suggest that someone else do so was something Lexie was sure had never been done before.

Alby abandoned his silent post to take position at the front of the group once again.

"I've talked this over with them already, and we've decided that it's worth a shot." He made eye contact with Thomas, who still looked slightly uneasy. "I know you don't remember Thomas. I believe you. But you have to understand… we need to know. If there's even a sliver of a possibility that your coming here and those symbols are somehow connected… we have to try."

Thomas seemed to relax a bit as Alby spoke softly to him. It was clear he was already beginning to respect their leader, and it was easy for her to understand why. Alby just had that effect on people. He didn't lie or mince words, he was fair, and it made it natural for you to trust him.

Newt watched on with an apprehensive expression, looking mostly at Thomas. Lexie wondered how much the two had gotten to know each other in the brief time since his arrival, and vowed to get every last detail out of her friend as soon as she got the chance.

Thomas nodded, looking down at the floor. He seemed to have already accepted the situation that had unfolded around him.

"Alright… okay. I'll do it."

Alby clapped his hand on Thomas's shoulder.

"Thank you, Thomas."

The mutters of protest had mostly fizzled out into apprehensive whispers at this point. Alby had spoken; there was no point in arguing. Besides, the prospect of unravelling a new mystery was too much to pass up.

Alby clapped his hands together, dismissing the group. Boys started to file out of the hut, heading towards the Homestead and their respective hammocks. Darkness had already fallen in the Glade, the only light coming from the torches dotted around the hut and the ones they carried with them. Lexie hung back inside, waiting for the group to thin out. She wasn't even sure exactly who she wanted to speak to. Earlier this afternoon she had felt on top of the world, now she was once again filled with questions and uncertainty.

As Thomas made his way past her toward the door, she reached out and grabbed his forearm to stop him.

"Hey, you alright there, greenie?" She smiled reassuringly at him. Her heart still ached for their mystery boy. She just wanted him to know that somebody was thinking of him and his feelings in all this. "That was a lot to take in, even as a spectator."

He smiled back at her, but she thought he looked a little sad.

"Yeah, I'll be alright." He turned toward her more fully, and she dropped her hold on his arm. She was comfortable around Thomas, but didn't think they were quite on 'arm holding' basis just quite yet. "It's just… I honestly don't remember anything, you know? I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me that I don't even understand." He didn't sound particularly vexed, just melancholy.

Lexie nodded. That made sense. He was only just coming to terms with their life here, and there they were throwing all these expectations at him. It wasn't exactly fair. She sighed, her mouth twisting to the side as she considered his words.

"Well, the worst that could happen is you go see those symbols, and you don't remember anything else. It's really no harm, no foul at that point, right?"

Thomas nodded, but she could tell by the look in his clear blue eyes that he wasn't exactly buying it.

"I don't know. This seems like a lot of commotion for something that doesn't really matter."

She sighed. He had a point.

"Alby would never hold anything that happens in that Maze against you. Whether you remember anything or not, he just wouldn't do that. And neither would the other shucks here." She was pleased when he smiled, and that he genuinely seemed to believe her. "Listen, if you ever want to talk about it, or about anything, I'm always here. Literally. I can't leave."

He chuckled at her dumb joke, looking a bit happier than he had before.

"Thanks, Lexie. Although I'm not sure if your entourage would be super happy about that."

She frowned at him, following his line of sight as he nodded behind her. Gally and Newt were the only other people left in the gathering hut, and while they were talking to each other, they were _definitely_ keeping a close eye on her conversation with the greenie. Like mother wolves waiting in the wings for the smallest provocation to pounce.

Scoffing, she turned back around to Thomas.

"Don't worry about them, I can take 'em."

He laughed openly with her then and it was infectious. She was satisfied that she had properly cheered him up, if only a little. He shook his head at her, turning to leave.

"I don't doubt you. And Lexie…" His blue eyes found hers, the smile still in them. "Thank you. Really."

She beamed at him.

"Anytime, shank."

He smiled and left, heading toward the Homestead to join the other boys. Newt strolled over to her, joining her in watching Thomas's departure. She linked her elbow with his, suddenly feeling exhausted. It had been a long, amazing, scary, tiring day, and her bed was calling her name.

"He doing alright with all this?"

Lexie shrugged tiredly.

"I think so. I just feel a bit bad for him. Most of us didn't have to deal with all this pressure straight out of the Box. He hasn't even really had time to adjust yet."

Newt hummed in agreement, letting his head lean over to rest on top of hers. He must be tired as well. She closed her eyes, leaning into him and feeling more comfortable as the tense meeting was put behind them.

"He'll come 'round. He's been a rather good sport, considering."

She hummed at him this time.

"We are _so_ gonna have a _looong_ talk tomorrow as soon as I'm more conscious."

Newt snickered quietly, wrapping his arm around her and giving her a quick squeeze before releasing her.

"Good that, Lex. I'm off get some sleep, I'm knackered. Don't stay up too late with loverboy, eh?"

She groaned and pushed him halfheartedly out the door as he laughed at her. She giggled after him, shaking her head at her friend's antics. She loved that silly shuckface. As she watched his exit, she felt a figure approach behind her, soon followed by a pair of warm hands sliding around her waist. They crossed over her small frame, coming to grasp at opposite sides of her slender waist. If there had been any question as to who they belonged to, the now familiar scent that surrounded her confirmed their identity.

Gally leaned down, his chin falling near her cheekbone as he held her. She let her eyes fall closed as she rested her head against his, breathing him in with a deep sigh. His arms completely enveloped her, and she soaked in the feeling of being small, safe, and protected. Gally had always carried around the persona of being hot headed quick to snap (and rightly so, sometimes), but he always treated her as though she was precious.

"You seem tired, girlie." His voice was soft and low in her ear, and she fought against the stirrings inside her. She was just too sleepy, and too much was whirling around in her mind to give her body much notice.

"You're not wrong, Gal."

He scoffed quietly at her choice of nickname.

"Is that going to become a thing now?"

She smiled, knowing he would be able to feel it.

"Hmm, yes, I think so."

He spun her around slowly, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist. Her hands came up to rest on his chest, fingers playing with his rough shirt and the tight muscle beneath it. He looked down at her with mild amusement.

"I suppose I've been called worse things. Even by you."

Lexie feigned a surprised look.

"What, you? _Noooo_. Can't imagine why."

He gave her a wry smile, rolling his eyes.

"Hardy har, very funny. I'll have you know I've been on my best behavior, which is saying a lot considering how shucked up everything's been getting lately."

She supposed things had been a bit different, although she didn't quite trust her own judgement at this point. In her life, normal routine had been completely overturned and replaced by the attractive man standing in front of her. The sun rose and set with him, and as a result she had been all but oblivious to the change in atmosphere among the other Gladers. She was reminded yet again that she really should catch up with her friends, and she glanced around absentmindedly only to confirm that they were the only ones still hanging around. Above all, she had really been hoping to have a word with Ben and calm her anxiety a bit. Something was eating up at him, and she wanted to know what it was.

Gally brought a hand up to brush her loose hair behind her ear. The action caused a blush to spread over her high cheekbones, and she couldn't help but lean in to his touch. The sensation was no longer urgent and needy like it had been before, but soothing and relaxing.

"You gonna let me in there with you sometime?" He asked gently, tapping her head with two fingers.

"It's nothing really, I'm just coming to realize what a klunk friend I've been lately." She sighed. "I was sort of hoping to have a word with Ben before he ran off. Haven't spoken to him much recently."

Gally looked pensive for a moment, and he took a small step back from her, keeping his hands on her hips. Lexie held her breath, waiting for his reaction. Logically, she knew that there was no reason for him to be angry with her. However, she hadn't forgotten his questioning about her and the runner's relationship at the bonfire. He and Ben hadn't ever been particularly close, and it made her anxious that he might believe she had some of the same feelings for Ben that she held for him.

He hung his head, opening his mouth to speak before shutting it again quickly. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

"Look, Lex." His eyes found hers again, and although she could pick out the irritation in them, she could tell he was trying very hard to hold it at bay. "I know I'm not the only shank you care about in here. Hell, I like that about you. You're the most caring person I've ever met. Well, that I can remember at least."

Her chest warmed at the compliment, but she was wary as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

"And I really don't care that you sometimes spend the night with Newt, or that you feel safe when Alby's arm is around you, or that you and Frypan have a history of getting into tickle fights. It's crazy, at first I used to actually get jealous of those shanks. But really, I get it. They're your family."

 _But…_

He pursed his lips together.

"But there's something about Ben… that I just don't like."

Lexie's brows furrowed. She knew that Ben had been acting a bit peculiar lately, but he was still like a brother to her. It upset her that two people she cared about so deeply might be at odds, and that she might have something to do with it. Gally felt tense beneath her hands, and she rubbed soothing patterns on his chest.

"Gally, I don't… I could never feel about Ben the same way I feel about you. You know that, right?" She needed him to understand.

He nodded dismissively.

"I believe you. It's not _you_ that I'm worried about. I don't trust him, Lex. I don't like the way he looks at you."

She frowned, her posture becoming more rigid as she felt a rush of defensiveness.

"Gally, he's my friend. He's done a _lot_ for me since I came up in that stupid Box. More than almost any other shank here."

His eyes narrowed and he took her hands in his, holding them tightly. He let out an aggravated huff of breath. She hadn't seen him angry in quite awhile, and she was surprised that it made her feel rather exhilarated. Was everything this boy did erotic to her?

"I'm not telling you not to be friends with him! I'm just telling you to be careful."

Lexie wrung her hands free of his grip on them, tossing them into the air. Her heart was pounding with indignation. Between him and Newt, she was just about fed up with everyone telling her who she should and should not spend time with.

"I'm not going to watch my footing around Ben just because _you don't like him!_ You're being ridiculous!"

Gally put his hands on his hips, standing up to his full height. He towered over her effortlessly. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his breath left him in accelerated puffs. Lexie straightened her back, refusing to let him intimidate her. Her eyes quickly glanced down of their own accord, taking in the firm set of his clenched jaw. His shoulders were rigid, and she could see the muscles of his exposed neck as they disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt. The expression on his face was stern, exasperated, and downright gorgeous.

She snapped her face back up to his, but not quickly enough. Comprehension dawned in his eyes as he caught her staring, and the heat that sparked behind them was unmistakable. His eyelashes dipped as he looked at her lips.

Lexie swallowed thickly. _Busted._

His hands abruptly found her shoulders, guiding her swiftly backwards. Her legs traveled a couple of feet before her back met solidly with the rough wooden wall of the hut. They both breathed heavily, the intensity of their short argument still lingering. Her heart was surely about to pound out of her chest.

Lexie had seen Gally angry before. It was a common enough occurrence that everyone in the Glade had seen it at some point or another. He was passionate about everything, and it made his emotions run higher than most. Rather than being a nuisance, it was one of the things she liked most about him. He didn't ever do things halfway, and he always put his all into everything. This time, the look in his eyes was different. It both thrilled and terrified her as he held her firmly against the wall.

He brought a hand up to cup her jaw firmly, moving her face up toward his. His grip wasn't hard enough to hurt, but it was clear he wasn't asking for permission. He met her lips in a hard kiss, and she felt her heart explode into a million tiny pieces. His long fingers wrapped around the back of her head, burying into her hair and holding her to him. His other hand kept its strong hold on her shoulder, effectively trapping her against him. She didn't mind in the slightest.

The movement of his lips against hers was frantic, a frenzy as his tongue teased against her mouth, asking for entrance. The slight parting of her lips was all the confirmation he needed as he assaulted her mouth with his tongue, exploring her over and over again. The new sensation was strange but it sent ripples throughout her body, and soon she was meeting his tongue with her own. Her arms came around him to clutch at his shoulders, using him as leverage to get even closer.

Feeling a surge of bravery, she let her lips travel across his jawline, peppering small kisses and licks as she made her way down to his neck. He leaned down slightly to give her better access, moving his hand from her shoulder to the wall in order to brace himself. Her foggy brain reminded her of the list she was making and her selfish goal, and she took a bite of the thick flesh at the crook of his shoulder.

A rush of triumph flowed through her as he moaned deeply in her ear, using the hand still buried in her hair to hold her against his neck. Oh, that sound would be the death of her. The slickness in her panties was impossible to ignore as his small sounds flowed through her. She grinned to herself as she continued teasing him, pleased to have found a weak spot of his. He moved his other hand from the wall to the small of her back, travelling lower.

Lexie felt a twinge of nervousness as his hand coasted over her jean-clad bottom. No one had ever (in her memory) touched her there. To her surprise, she didn't feel uncomfortable at all with the new sensation, and she briefly wondered if she had done things like this in her lost past. His hand skimmed over her lightly at first, before firmly gripping her soft flesh.

She could once again feel his arousal pressing into her lower stomach, and without thinking she brought one slender thigh up to rest against his, subconsciously seeking friction against him. Something in him triggered, and he pulled her back by her hair so that he could find her lips, moaning into her mouth. The hand gripping her bottom slid lower to roughly hitch her leg over his hip, leaning her back slightly against the wall.

Lexie was gasping for air in between fevered kisses, completely powerless to do anything against him even if she wanted to. This experience was so much different than the last soft, sweet kisses they had shared, and she was drowning in the moment. His calloused fingers on the soft exposed skin of her thigh were scratching at her deliciously, he pulled her hair slightly as kissed her, and she was surprised at how much she enjoyed this more dominant side of Gally.

This new position gave her exactly what she sought as his stiff member pressed flush against her core. It was her turn to groan this time, and she found she couldn't stop as he made a few small, experimental movements against her. Using her grip on his shoulders and her leg around him, she ground herself against him eagerly, desperate to feel him against her, putting blissful pressure on her sensitive nub.

Gally found her forearms and pinned them against the wall behind her, taking away her leverage and leaning back a bit to look at her. His eyes were dilated with pleasure, lips swollen, breaths coming in pants as he stared at her hungrily. Lexie panted along with him, looking up at him through hooded lids. She felt intoxicated, and immediately felt the loss of his mouth on hers.

She looked at him questioningly, too overwhelmed to guess why he stopped. She was keenly aware of his secure hold on her arms and it did nothing to halt her want for him.

"You're going to kill me, girlie."

She grinned, feeling pride at her effect on him. He returned it with a wry smile.

"If I don't stop now, I'm not gonna be able to."

Lexie flushed red with understanding. She wasn't sure how she had knowledge of sex and how it all worked, but she guessed it was something so basal and instinctive that the Creators weren't able to get rid of it. Suddenly she was grateful for his immense self-control. She wanted Gally, but she didn't know if she was ready to take that step just yet. She begrudgingly let her leg slide off his hip.

Seeing that she understood, Gally slowly released her arms, taking her face gently in his hands. He leaned down, meeting her lips so sweetly that it took her breath away. He had done a complete 180 and it was doing her head in, in the best way. Keeping his face close to hers, he stroked his thumbs lightly across her cheekbones.

"I'm only being a slinthead about this because I care about you, Lex." He spoke softly, and she found that she was much more willing to listen to him this time around. "I'm not going to tell you to stay away from the guy, or stop talking to him, or anything like that. But you are my favorite shucking thing in this place, and I won't apologize for wanting to take care of you and keep you safe."

She found herself nodding at his words, and suddenly felt as though she could cry. The gruff, misunderstood builder in front of her had planted a seed in her heart and it seemed like he was intent on putting down roots.

He kissed her forehead with the same amount of tenderness he showed her lips, and she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. She understood now that he wasn't trying to control her life or alienate her friends. He just wanted her to be safe and happy. She had never felt more treasured, and her previous anger completely evaporated.

A short distance away from the hut, a pair of darkened eyes watched their display through a window, fists clenched.


End file.
